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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26068675">Unfavorable Tides</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpesinluna/pseuds/vulpesinluna'>vulpesinluna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Series - J.M. Lee, The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:22:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26068675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpesinluna/pseuds/vulpesinluna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a snitch among the Paladins, and Tavra faces the consequences for being discovered meeting in secret with a Sifa. As if an angry All-maudra punishing her daughter isn't enough to deal with, Tavra has to navigate the challenges of her relationship with Onica, and decide if she wants to interfere with a rumored coup against the newly instated Sifan maudra. What trouble did the seasonal tides bring in this time?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brea &amp; Seladon &amp; Tavra (Dark Crystal), Onica/Tavra (Dark Crystal)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started off this story as a journal snippet that Tavra had written, a little thing I had muse for a while ago. At one point I thought, why not turn this into a full fic? This is the first time I'm actually posting any of my work to Ao3 and I hope you will enjoy this piece &lt;3 I wanted to explore Tavra's character more, her background and her relationships, with Onica, with her sisters, her mother, as well as the rest of her people, and more importantly, the Paladins she would command over.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Easy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opening the lock had been nothing, it was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>clickety-clack</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the mechanism that made her heart give a start. Discovering that these locks were hardly used wasn’t something that brought her comfort, particularly when she was trying to escape in complete silence. She stilled, and her ears perked towards the corridors, pivoting left and right. Distant sounds of merriment eased the breath out of her lungs. The cell guard was among them as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door opened, and Tavra slipped out, her shape and colors quickly melding into the walls of the dungeon. A soft clank, and it was shut again behind her, a bundle of rough blankets, hay and a bucket supplying a comfortable diversion that would ensure it would be long before they’d realize she was missing. She snuck down the corridors with careful, quiet steps that contrasted with the blood pounding in her ears. For all the adrenaline coursing through her veins, every step was critical and had to be deliberate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra had never imagined that the skills honed stalking the mountain thickets would be spent dodging her fellow gelfling, but circumstances were as they were. She had a goal in mind, and the first step towards reaching it was the balcony at the end of the hall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The storm was still crashing hard against the walls of the Citadel, rain pelting down in waves with an almost rhythmic motion in tone with the howling of the winds. One would have to be out of their mind to brave it, yet, as Tavra stood out in it, she could only feel laughter wanting to bubble out of her lungs. A shiver rattled her. Without the protection of her thick robes, the rain was quick to seep into the fabric of the loose tunic she’d been traded as part of her </span>
  <em>
    <span>punishment. </span>
  </em>
  <span>As if fashion status had ever mattered to her. Nonetheless, the cold was quick to settle on her in the form of wet cloth sticking to her skin. Before the illusion would be shattered by the appearance of rain still bouncing off her form, Tavra’s foot connected with a nook in the wall, and she launched herself into the dark void below. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wings flung out and rattled her body when the wind buffeted her up into the current. Her lungs hurt with the strain of cold air and effort, but she persevered. Her back loosened and eyes fluttered closed enough to shut off some of her senses, enough to </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>the currents around her, the way they glided over and under her wings, fluttering over their tips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She dipped into the storm with abandon. For the first time that night, she felt all the pain and tension wash off her like the pails of rain trailing off her arms as she navigated the currents. She knew exactly where she was going, and not even a glance over the shoulder had been spared to what she was leaving behind. It was like years of shackles had been broken off her all at once, and she almost didn’t know what to do with all the freedom, but when the coast line came into view, her goal was renewed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waves battered into the ships docked along the shore, the larger ones swaying dangerously in the winds. With her vliyaya completely invisible in the darkness of the storm, and a heart full of courage, she swerved through the masts and bound sails looking for </span>
  <em>
    <span>one particular ship. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’d never been on it, she’d only ever seen it from a distance, tracking it in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>storm</span>
  </em>
  <span> seemed nearly impossible, but Tavra had unshakeable faith she’d find it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her heart leaped into her throat with joy when her eyes connected to one of the smaller ships tied off closer to the gulf arm, soft yellow light shining from its windows. That was the one, the particular flutter in her heart told her, and Tavra dived down towards it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With the ship swaying so strongly in the waves, precision work had been chalked off quickly, but there were still things that Onica needed to attend to. Fortune had blessed that she’d managed to get a new supply of herbs from the mainland just before the storm had rolled in, and yet, as she sat there picking apart petals, seeds, and buds, there was unrest churning at her core. Was another far-dream coming…? Her thoughts drifted to Tavra, and she wondered if her lover was in danger. Her reverie was broken by an audible thud out on the deck above. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alarm took over. She was sure everything had been properly tied off before the storm had hit. Surely no ships had come untied, the impact would have been greater. Did the storm bring in wreckage? A lot of thoughts simultaneously coursed through her mind as a storm coat and a lantern were quickly equipped. The cabin door swung open to the vision of illusion melting off a figure that revealed… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tavra. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mouth fell open, emotions crashing against each other and barring her ability to speak as she was faced with the appearance of the princess standing on </span>
  <em>
    <span>her very deck.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was this another dream…? Onica quickly came to the realization that it wasn’t, and the primary emotion that dominated her mind upon seeing her disheveled lover with wet strands of hair sticking to her face, wings still vibrating from effort, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>anger.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A loving sort, but still. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Katavra of Ha’rar! What do you think you’re </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>doing</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>?!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only response that the princess had to give was laughter that rang out even over the noise of the storm, rendering Onica speechless yet once more. Yet, when the Vapran gelfling stepped forward towards her, the only valid response was to greet her with arms wrapping around her cold form as Tavra herself embraced Onica with a joyful grip. For a still moment in time, it seemed like even the storm around them had fallen to silence, and there was nothing else in the world but the two of them.</span>
</p>
<p><span>he moment dispelled when Onica was first to come to her senses, alarm taking over once more with her eyes flitting left and right to see if there had been any witnesses before a hand curled around the fabric of Tavra’s shirt and promptly </span><em><span>dragged </span></em><span>the princess</span> <span>inside the security of her cabin, with the wooden door slamming shut behind them to bar out the storm. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing here?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica demanded, still baffled by the smile that hadn’t worn off her lover’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t it obvious?” came the almost antagonizing answer from Tavra, if anything, her smile growing a little bit wider. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! It’s very much not obvious! Tavra, you could have been seen! And someone could have heard </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> just now!” Onica fought back, now with added frustration to her own reactions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, she didn’t know yet, Tavra realized. She’d figured, with the returning Sifa party, that gossip had spread like wildfire. With the storm however, it made a little sense that it hadn’t. At least Onica hadn’t been worrying. Tavra’s momentary silence alerted her, however, and for the first time, she spared a glance at Tavra’s appearance. Gone were the extravagant clothes of the crown princesses, gone were the jewels, and armor, and weapons. All she had left were the meager shirt that now clung to her skin, the pair of worn leggings that she was inseparable from, and the boots that everyone either forgot about, or didn’t bother to have her discard for a cheaper pair. She looked like she’d been through hell -- not to mention riding a storm to get there -- and yet she was still beaming ear to ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Onica questioned, panic seeping into her voice with a tremor as her eyes searched her lover’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You needn’t worry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I very much worry!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra curled her arms around Onica and pulled her into an embrace, hoping it would quiet and distract her, but the mariner was unrelenting. A palm smacked into her shoulder hard enough to be noticed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tavra!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just hold me for now” came the gentle response of the silverling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica fixed her with intense worry in her eyes, but Tavra’s expression, despite clearly displaying strain and exhaustion -- what else was new? -- seemed somehow, still, blissfully happy, and Onica simply couldn’t understand. Nonetheless, her wish was granted, and Onica threw her entire weight against Tavra, both of them now leaned against the wooden door that no longer fought to contain the storm. The far-dreamer cared not about the amount of water her lover was dripping, nor the fact that her own clothes were soaking it up, she only cared about pressing her face against Tavra’s cold shoulder, afraid to admit just how much she’d longed to do it for fear that it might encourage her to be even more reckless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra plunged her nose into crimson curls, arms holding Onica tightly against her chest with a relieved breath escaping her. She wanted to stay like this forever. Why hadn’t she been able to make that choice for herself from the beginning? Her wings slowly relaxed against her back, and it seemed like her whole body was trying to give way into exhaustion, but sheer will was the only thing holding her up. That, and Onica’s bodyweight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wouldn’t last too long though, because after a while, Onica’s worries circled back to her and she pushed back to look Tavra in the eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need to tell me what happened,” Onica insisted, her tone soft and comforting this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s expression sunk into tiredness again, and she let out a single sigh. Enough tells for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Onica</span>
  </em>
  <span> to pick up on, always being able to get so much, even when Tavra said </span>
  <em>
    <span>so little.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A palm raised flat in front of the mariner, an open invitation to see what could not be told. The princess could see a sliver of fear in the eyes of her beloved, yet Onica raised her own hand to meet it nonetheless, sending them both deep into dreamfast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The intensity almost left her breathless as soon as it started. It took much to rattle Tavra, and yet, what she was feeling through their connection was undeniable. Her heart started beating faster when Tavra stood in trial, facing her accusations. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ve been discovered, </span>
  </em>
  <span>came the princess’ soothing voice reverberating through the dreamspace as imagery continued to unravel around Onica. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But how? When? By whom? </span>
  </em>
  <span>came Onica’s reply, anger starting to build in her once more at what she was seeing unfold within the Vapran court. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shuddered when Mayrin’s palm connected to Tavra’s cheek, and she was sure the other had felt it in their embrace. It only served to stoke the fire of her anger to a face and a being she’d never seen in living breath. She could feel Tavra’s embrace grow tighter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>One of the paladins. They must have followed me from the Citadel, that night when I couldn’t ease my restlessness. I think part of me knew…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I remember…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The more the dreamfast lasted, the more Onica wanted to fight it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>to fight Mayrin,</span>
  </em>
  <span> for the right </span>
  <em>
    <span>to love her daughter</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and tears started flowing down her cheeks as she crashed into the realization that they’d never be accepted, a sliver of hope dusted into the wind. But, as she watched the scene unfold, the princess’ angry mother, her sister, torn at her side, she could feel what Tavra had felt, and saw her thoughts drifting back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>to Onica… </span>
  </em>
  <span>And she knew what was decided. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tavra wasn’t going back. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dreamfast broke with the two staring into each other’s eyes, both glazed over with tears, one pair tired, but determined and smiling. The other, stunned, deeply touched, and staring back in disbelief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s weathered palms reached upwards to cup Tavra’s cheeks, and the smell of herbs reached the princess to bring comfort she’d longed for what seemed like an eternity already. Eyes closed for a moment, letting herself sink into the warm touch that she craved so much. She’d learned so many things about herself this night, learned of what her heart desired most, and what was truly important for her. Tavra remembered the first time they’d dared to come so close to each other, dared to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>entertain</span>
  </em>
  <span> the thought that there might be something more between them. The way she felt about the beautiful and brave Sifan as soon as their eyes had met that </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, yet fateful night, igniting feelings in her that she’d thought stamped out trine ago, not knowing </span>
  <em>
    <span>just how much</span>
  </em>
  <span> she still craved them, a touch that melted through her like spring sunshine through the harsh cold of winter. Like all things in Thra, there had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>life </span>
  </em>
  <span>under the ice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How could she not have known it? She felt foolish now for her hesitations, for not having </span>
  <em>
    <span>dared</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do this sooner, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>cowardly</span>
  </em>
  <span> she felt now, and yet, so very brave at the same time. Tavra’s forehead pressed against Onica’s, loose silver strands disregarded as their gazes connected once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are my one, and my only. Whatever Thra has prepared for us, I will choose you over anything else, I know that now. I am yours. Forever” Tavra confessed, her own hands coming to rest over Onica’s, intertwining their fingers together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t get to utter anything else before Onica’s lips pressed against hers, and it almost felt like they were kissing for the first time, and yet different… This time it was raw, full of fervor and emotion, joy, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>anger</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and want, and belonging, their hearts dancing together as their arms wrapped around each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The candlelight danced on their figures as the storm continued to rage outside. A discarded lantern lay abandoned on the floor near their feet. Onica’s raincoat joined it on the floor, causing the light inside to flicker for only a moment when the weight of the coat dislodged it momentarily from its position. It was promptly followed by a tunic, a hat, a shirt. One by one, any layer that stood between their bodies was shed and discarded. There was nothing more pleasurably maddening than desiring a lover both soul and body, and knowing that they returned every inch of that desire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra knew that. By the hands that curled into her messy braids, by the grip on her shoulders, by the way Onica’s shoulderline loosened with her head tilted back when Tavra pressed hungry kisses against her neck, brushing her lips against her lover’s freckled, sunkissed skin. She wasn’t sure how, or where she still had energy for it, but vigor flooded back into her like a river breaking free at the end of winter, wild and lifegiving. For every bit of practiced strength that the soldier-princess’ body was capable of, it all came out in her touches as smooth and adoring as if she were handling a prized crystal figure. Onica was, of course, worth more to Tavra than any jewel the Vapra were capable of producing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s breath shuddered when her lover’s lips dipped into the opening of the undershirt that was already untied and sliding off her shoulders, kissing tenderly over her heart. It felt a little unfair, while Tavra had already lost her garments, it was a <em>tease</em> and she knew it, but the hands caressing their way up over her thighs and hips meant that the <em>problem</em> would soon be addressed. Tavra was unlike any Vapran princess she’d ever imagined. Muscles rippled under smooth skin, a body built and trained for combat, emanating strength even in the dim light that was witness to their lovemaking, and so different from her own. Different, and yet… They fit together seamlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The undershirt was finally shed, an almost agonizing scrape of her skin, and Tavra pulled her lover against her by the hips in a strong, challenging movement, all the while a smirk on her face, even as they were kissing hungrily once more. It was as if the passing of the shirt over Onica’s head had been an unbearably long moment to be apart. Onica’s arms looped over Tavra’s shoulders, and she leaped up to wrap her legs around Tavra’s waist, a move long perfected for scaling sails and masts, but today it had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> use. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, Tavra had staggered a little. It had caught her by surprise, and the tiredness was still there, but embarrassment seemed out of place right then and there as arms wrapped around her beautiful lover. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica slipped her hands into Tavra’s hair on either side of her face, angling it upwards towards her own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine</span>
  </em>
  <span> now, princess” Onica smirked down at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A fairer entrapment I could have never wished for” Tavra replied, a smirk of her own stretching on her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their foreheads pressed together, and then their mouths met again. Tavra brought them both down onto the cushions littering the floor of the cabin, careful not to crash down on top of her lover, though the other would have teased her for all the knee-trembling if Tavra hadn’t been keeping her </span>
  <em>
    <span>busy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. At some point, her braids had come undone, and her hair began cascading like wavy silk onto them both, in tones of silver and lavender. Teeth grazed lightly over a blue-green shoulder, delivering a playful bite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tavra” </span>
  </em>
  <span>came a light, whined complaint from Onica, arms curling around Tavra’s back, slipping under her iridescent wings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? You don’t like it?” Tavra replied with a question as she hovered over her.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, and keep kissing me” came the demand after the smallest of pauses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra couldn’t help but burst into a chuckle against Onica’s shoulder, hiding her face in the crook of her neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it!” Onica said, though she, too, started laughing, only quieted when Tavra’s lips were kissing her again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess kissed wherever she could reach, keeping her Sifan lover content beneath her. With the storm raging around them, there was no one to hear them, no one to see them, they were alone <em>together</em> and absolutely free. The soothing motion of the ship on the waves only aided them along into the pleasurable, mindless blur that would follow. Tavra’s kisses traveled down Onica’s neck, taking in the sweet and salty scent of her lover’s skin and embedding it into her memory, listening to the small gasps that came whenever she touched somewhere that her lover liked. When Tavra’s breath had brushed over the dip of her collarbone, when her hands had caressed soft sides and tenderly kneaded her breasts, placing kisses upon them, when those same hands raked the underside of Onica’s strong thighs with lust, passion taking over most of everything else.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you keep doing that I’ll--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words were quickly stolen from the seafarer’s mouth with a sharp gasp as her mind drew a temporary blank, head slamming backwards into the cushions, her entire body contracting with pleasure coming from her princess’ efforts between her legs. When Onica’s form stilled onto their makeshift bed, deep breaths the only movement coming out of her, Tavra rose up almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>victoriously</span>
  </em>
  <span>, flipping her silvery mane over her shoulder with an expert flick, a smirk on her face and wings vibrating with motion every now and then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra sat admiring the way her lover’s body lay in front of her, crimson curls spread loosely around her head, looking like every bit of the sea goddess that Tavra had always seen in her. And yet, it still felt like it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not enough</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not when they’d waited for </span>
  <em>
    <span>so long</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be together like this. She wouldn’t push selfishly just for her own desires, however. After all, any kind of time that she could spend with her lover felt like bliss. Tavra slid up against Onica’s side, looking at her with adoring eyes, and brushed the back of her hand gently over the Sifan’s blue-stained forehead, gazing lovingly at her as she combed stray hairs out of her face with her fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> look pleased with yourself” Onica remarked with a content purr, looping an arm over Tavra’s shoulder to draw her closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess scooped her lover into her arms and brought them into an embrace once more. Onica ran a hand over Tavra’s silky hair, and pulled her in close enough to give her a sweet, tender kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that what my happiness looks like?” Tavra jested lightly in return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Scoundrel” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica chuckled, nuzzling the Vapran. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought that was supposed to be you in this relationship” Tavra teased with a small smirk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica looked almost affronted at the statement, but the amusement on her face was undeniable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Really?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Tavra had time to blink or react, she had been flipped onto her back, with her hands pinned down over her head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Say it again, princess” </span>
  </em>
  <span>challenged Onica with a wide grin on her face as she towered over Tavra, cherishing the shocked expression that her beloved was wearing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What she hadn’t expected was for Tavra to start laughing. Proper </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughter</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the kind that Onica had never heard come out of her lover </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not until then, of course. It was so incredibly distracting, it had completely ruined the moment, and Tavra didn’t seem like she was stopping. It was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>aggravating</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and yet Onica couldn’t help but feel the urge to laugh along. She released Tavra and dropped over to sit on her side, giggling into her palm as she watched her lover have a laughing fit. It felt like a once in a lifetime moment to look at the princess curl in on herself, laughing freely like something had been loosed deep within her soul. At one point, she leaned over to pin Tavra down again, using her body as a weight this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>aggravating</span>
  </em>
  <span> at times, you know that?” Onica confessed, still chuckling herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know” Tavra said, trying to still her chuckles, and wiping away at the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. “I love you” she added, with a smile as wide and bright as the Sister moons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too” Onica replied, sealing her words with a tender kiss as the two entangled in each other’s arms once again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt different, to completely abandon herself at the mercy of her lover’s wishes. Relinquishing control was something that Tavra had practically been trained against doing, and her instincts fought it at first, but something that she’d always known about Onica right away was that she trusted her more than her own breath. For the first time, she discovered she </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> not being in control, to have someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span> in charge of such an intimate moment. She was convinced that she would not be getting that part of her brain back after this was over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica was a quick learner, and tuned in to the exact combination of tenderness and roughness that seemed to turn off the princess’ wits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of the two, Tavra had turned out to be much louder, producing sounds that Onica was fairly convinced she had no idea she could, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>would eve</span>
  </em>
  <span>r make, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thra</span>
  </em>
  <span> the shades of </span>
  <em>
    <span>embarrassment</span>
  </em>
  <span> on her face were purely delicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time they had enough of each other, they were lying quietly together, embraced and listening to the rain pattering slower and slower onto the windows. Tavra’s clothes were hung near the clay stove to dry, and there was a pleasant scent drifting around the room from herbs that Onica had lit to help soothe her lover. Tavra was stroking idly at her bare waist, carefully tracing over the spot where her fingertips had found a small scar, and Onica had her face pressed against the princess’ chest, listening to her heartbeat, in tune with the rhythmic beating of waves against her ship. It seemed like all was at peace, and perfectly wonderful, and yet… Onica knew it couldn’t last. Not right now, at least. So, even though it pained her to shatter the moment, she had to bring it up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you going to do now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay here with you, obviously” the princess replied with a light chuckle. “I will hide until it’s time to sail, and then we can disappear on the waves where my mother can’t follow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica lifted herself onto an elbow to look down at her lover’s confused face, concerned as to why she’d chosen to break their embrace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra… You can’t…” the far-dreamer spoke softly, though pain laced her tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt as if someone had briefly acquainted her head with a brick. Her vision blanked for a moment as thoughts started pouring, rapidly and rampantly, through her mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the words came out more aggressively than she’d intended, what with the chaos in her head and the aftermath of adrenaline of her flight from the Citadel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d instantly regretted it upon seeing the briefly startled, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>panicked </span>
  </em>
  <span>look of her lover. She wanted to control herself, she did, but all her thoughts, all her </span>
  <em>
    <span>doubts</span>
  </em>
  <span> had come pouring out like a broken dam, and it must have shown on her face. The pure terror that laced her expression, despite the deep scowl that creased her brow. The absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>appalling</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and heartbreaking thought that… despite everything, </span>
  <em>
    <span>despite what they’d just shared, </span>
  </em>
  <span>her feelings might not be shared like she thought they were. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica, however, was not intimidated by Tavra’s expression, nor her tone. She cupped the princess’ face between her warm palms and brought them both to a sit. Tavra might as well have been made of threader silk, she followed the motion so easily and weightlessly. Staring into her eyes -- how much fear and uncertainty was clear in those eyes -- she saw Tavra for what she was. Beneath the armor, devoid of her crown and her weapons, just a gelfling like her. The unease and tension was so clear on her bare shoulders as she waited with baited breath for Onica’s reply. But first, a tender kiss was placed on the bridge of her nose, lingering just a little with her lips pressed against her lover’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s eyes closed, and she let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding. Her hands lifted and rested over Onica’s, closing gently on her wrists. When she opened her eyes once more, Onica’s sea-green gaze was upon her, a warm and reassuring smile on her face. Words weren’t needed for reassurance, and yet, a figment of doubt remained, and left way for confusion, but the far-dreamer understood too well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t run away, my love. Not now. They will find us” Onica began. “I love the Sifa, but even my sails aren’t strong enough for the storm that would follow us now. Some would seek to earn Mayrin’s favor. Like the Paladin that betrayed you, there will be those who will betray me as well.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s green-stained hand ran gently through Tavra’s hair, sweeping it away from her face. Though the princess had closed her eyes and sighed, the sea-farer knew she’d understood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We will not get the life we want so easily, they will track us down and not let us live until we obey their rules...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s shoulders slumped, her wings quivering under loose hair. She was right, and Tavra hated to admit it. She’d held hope that her defiance would be enough to bridge their troubles, but that argument had been dismantled with such </span>
  <em>
    <span>ease</span>
  </em>
  <span> by her lover. It was almost amusing, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>frustrating</span>
  </em>
  <span> at the same time. And the worst part is it only opened up the way to even more questions as their future became even more clouded. Luckily, Onica didn’t let Tavra’s thoughts stray too much before arms wrapped around her and the Sifan climbed on her lap. A pleasant sigh exited the warrior as arms came to rest loosely around her lover, stroking softly over her back, even gentler over where her wings had once been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you” was whispered tenderly into crimson curls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too” Onica replied, cradling her head onto Tavra’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll have to go back, won’t I?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica nodded lightly on her shoulder. Tavra absolutely hated the thought. Why would she ever want to leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>And go back to what? Sighing at endless courtesan droning? Barking troops around? They could find a replacement. Part of her mind didn’t understand why she couldn’t just rip away from this curse that was her station of birth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra couldn’t help her thoughts from drifting back to her sisters as well. Seladon needed her more than anyone else right now, absorbing every bit of comfort that Tavra had to offer her in the trying times of her maudra training. And her sweet baby sister Brea would never understand what happened, why she left, yet another person turning her back on her. She couldn’t possibly do that to them, not quite so suddenly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As for her mother? </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’d live.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll stay for a little while longer,” Tavra decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If they’d discovered her missing by now, the damage wouldn’t be much worse. If they hadn’t, they’d be none the wiser. Just a little while longer to treasure Onica’s soft embrace. Despite her life as a seafarer, her skin was smooth and delicate, and Tavra knew at least a few fellow Vapran that would pay heavy money to even come close. She breathed in her scent in long, purposeful breaths, a mix of oils and fragrances, aromatic herbs and flowers alike, hoping it would imprint on her senses enough to last her longer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, the rain had ceased its pattering, and the only noise was the seafoam splashing and dissipating against the ship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think it’ll get better for us?” Tavra found herself asking before she’d even had a chance to formulate a second thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm” came Onica’s quick reply, with a nod in the crook of her shoulder as they sat embraced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The swiftness of her reply lifted a weight off Tavra’s heart, and she let out a long breath. It was time to depart. It felt as if tearing fiber from a wound to let go of her beloved, but it was needed, or else she’d rethink the entire decision of returning to the Citadel. She dressed herself again, with clothes that somehow smelled a lot better that they had before thanks to Onica. It wouldn’t last long, Tavra knew, but it would give her something to cling to for a while longer. She rebraided some of her hair, and Onica helped with the rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood on the deck in the dim light of morning. The sun wasn’t up yet, and that would make for a smooth departure. Tavra’s wings were spread and ready to take flight. Onica hesitated for a moment but then stumbled forward a few steps, the urge to cling to the princess almost irresistible for a little while. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you return…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What a silly question. But the far-dreamer wasn’t the only one that could read words for what they really meant. Tavra swung around on her heels, and beamed her a confident smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As soon as I can escape again” she grinned, right before she flipped backwards off the deck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica rushed forward just as Tavra pivoted in the air and flew off back towards Har’ar, the glint of her wings melting into invisibility right as she came out from the cover of the ship. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Return swiftly, my love…” Onica whispered to herself, a heart-felt prayer as her fingers drew to her lips and she blew one last kiss to the wind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oi, oi! Quiet down!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tavern was almost deafening at the late hours of the night, when the amounts of alcohol imbibed by its inhabitants had reached staggering levels. Regardless of the season, the port tavern gathered more people than almost any other establishment in Ha’rar, only closely rivaled by the Citadel on tithing day. It was a place where many clans that came there to trade would blend and forget their differences over a pint of ale. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Musicians played on the wooden stage, but the hum of the tavern would often drown out the music in certain corners, aided by its patrons trying hard to communicate with each other and against each other, and somehow miraculously managing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m tellin’ you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this blows. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tax this, tax that, rules rules rules, choking the breath outta’us all. Look’it this mess. Ships piled up for days because the Vapra decided that they needed the All-maudra’s say-so for who can and who can’t trade in port! And the All-maudra was prissy enough to agree! Greedy little cunts” a gelfling complained, their sea-tanned visage and garb marking them out as a Sifa. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We lost half a cycle with this mockery. I can only pray the trade fair at the end of the unum will be held properly, or we might all find ourselves short on coin by the time we have to fill our holds to sail…” another joined in, righteously angry. “And meanwhile </span>
  <em>
    <span>our </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maudra’s just noddin’ ‘er head to wha’ever the hell the All-maudra wants. I’m sick of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! For Thra’s sake, what’s next? Kissing Vapra boots on our way in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A third one sighed as he leaned precariously on a palm, the alcohol in his system enough to have him steadily leaning to his left with every passing moment, curly raven hair escaping his worn, sun-battered hat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavern’s making a bunch though…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tch. Yeah, and we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries, lads, things are about’ta change ‘round ‘ere” another one chimed in, emptying his pint with a large chug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know something we don’t, Romaal?” one of the others raised an eyebrow. “Or is that just the ale talkin’ through ya?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ale for sure” another laughed. “Things would have changed already if there was a chance for it, but our Maudra seems to have other priorities.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then maybe it’s time for--”, he hiccuped, “--for a new Maudra” Romaal smirked with an expression heavily contorted by his state of inebriation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh don’t be thick, Romaal, Ethri would send even </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> tough arse flying over deck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ain’t gonna be me ta challenge ‘er” Romaal interjected, a bit louder than he probably should have, his eyes showing disparate blinking as he struggled to find his words. “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna challenge ‘er soon, and some things gon’ change ‘round ‘ere fer good” he slurred, repeating himself and smacking a fist into the table, making all the mugs jump. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think he’s gone off the bend,” the dark-haired Sifan concluded, quickly clutching his mug so it wouldn’t spill. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll see!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, friend. Of course. Come on, finish up your pint, it’s a shame to let it waste” the first complainer advised, patting Romaal on the shoulder, and almost getting thrown over the bench when the latter decided he didn’t like it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t mock me, oar-heads!” Romaal protested, smacking his fist into the table again and pointing to his other two table-mates before he stormed off, almost taking the table with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His companions blinked in shock watching the larger gelfling carve his way through the dense crowd with ease.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better go after him before he gets in trouble” one of them sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right behind you” the other two said, downing the rest of their pints and scrambling off after their mate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been quiet when Tavra had snuck back into her cell. There was no indication whatsoever that her escape had been in any way detected. She’d lied down on the meager straw bed, and for the first time that night, she allowed herself to sleep. Blackness took over almost instantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t know how long it’d been when she received a rude awakening, in the form of the course cell blanket being yanked off her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi. Wake up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked blearily from under the crease of her elbow to look up at the disturbance. She knew him, the drill sergeant in charge of breaking in any new recruits. Sergeant Varean was his name, and while Tavra hadn’t spoken much to the man past her introduction, she knew his reputation among the recruits purely from the rumours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>wake up</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There’s work to do” he said with an even harsher tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra tried to remember if she’d ever done anything to mandate her treatment, but how could one mistreat someone they’d barely spoken to…? Nonetheless, she got up wordlessly and pulled on her boots. They were still soaked from the night before, but she couldn’t protest for fear of raising suspicions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as she was eye-level, he stepped forward. She could smell the alcohol on him, and tried hard to keep her expression unflinching as he stared her down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get some things clear, </span>
  <em>
    <span>princess.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You were handed to me with a warrant by the All-maudra herself, and if you think you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any sort of word</span>
  </em>
  <span> down here, you might as well take your mind off it right now. While you’re here, you’re nothing more than a grunt, and you will </span>
  <em>
    <span>act</span>
  </em>
  <span> as one. You will wake up on time, you will follow whatever orders you’re handed, and if I hear as much as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>peep</span>
  </em>
  <span> out of you--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The older gelfling’s brow twitched as he looked at the princess standing to attention without any sort of protest or even intention to fight. He’d come in there fully prepared to argue and yet there didn’t seem to be any confrontation from his charge. It seemed to baffle the Sergeant, and watching him try to discard the now useless aggression was almost amusing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmph. Follow me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir” chanted Tavra as she fell in line behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were whispers, stares, and lots of pointing going on as Tavra passed through the shared barracks. She became very painfully aware of the speed with which news, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>gossip</span>
  </em>
  <span> had traveled around the Citadel, but she opted to ignore it. It was clear that at some point, facing the rumors was unavoidable, so she preferred not to deal with it now. As she dared to cast a glance over the crowd, a pair of grey eyes caught her gaze. One of the higher ranked soldiers, she recognized him. She’d half-recruited him herself, Eidrin was his name. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What was he looking so intently at?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tavra’s brief scowl startled him enough that he turned right back to what he’d been doing before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if to confirm her dreaded feelings, the sergeant promptly stopped her in front of the nicely gathered Paladins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Starting today, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Princess</span>
  </em>
  <span> Katavra--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to try her hardest not to flinch in discomfort at that emphasis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--is going to be joining our ranks for an… </span>
  <em>
    <span>indeterminate</span>
  </em>
  <span> amount of time” the sergeant said, and Tavra could almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>the venom. “Treat her as </span>
  <em>
    <span>any other</span>
  </em>
  <span> of your fellows” he added, and pointedly looked at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra had been fortunate, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>unfortunate</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough to catch that stare, and judging by the wave of whispers that broke out once more over the guards, she knew that this sort of announcement did not bode well for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now back to work!” he barked at the rest before he turned on his heels to face Tavra once more. “You, with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir” Tavra nodded and followed obediently behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There could have been worse duties to undertake, but cleaning the halls was not the easiest of tasks either. Not with everyone persistently avoiding it like they had, and the layered mud that had embedded itself deep within the stone floor. There was nothing she could do about it though, so she carried on, wiping her brow every now and then from the sweat that came with the effort. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed like a whole unum ago that her lover had rested in her arms, that they’d shared a night together in blissful joy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Swish, swish, swish, </span>
  </em>
  <span>back and forth the course brush scrubbed over the tiles. Paladins came and went past her, some more verbal than others in their whispers and gossip, some </span>
  <em>
    <span>meaner</span>
  </em>
  <span> than others, but Tavra ignored and pressed on, though her exhaustion took its toll. It was late, when she heard footsteps ahead. She didn’t look up, already accustomed to the traffic, simply stepping out of the way and not bothering to look up as she cleaned the brush in her fourth bucket of lather. This one too had quickly acquired a dark tint. The footsteps however, did not pass her, but they stopped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So they put you in here with us, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s ears tilted forward and she raised her gaze up from the bucket. A paladin was propped against the carved stone wall of the arch, using a small steel knife to peel a fruit. The bits of peel were being carelessly discarded onto the floor, which Tavra </span>
  <em>
    <span>was still cleaning.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> hope you intend on picking that up,” Tavra noted curtly as she strived to pick some debris out of her brush while struggling to stay awake through her exhaustion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think I will,” the Paladin replied defiantly, continuing to peel the fruit under Tavra’s stern gaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess was baffled that she was even bearing witness to such an exchange, let alone participating in it. She hadn’t done </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> to these people, she hadn’t even known most of them past their names and their ranks. Her mother would keep her so busy that she didn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have the time.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But no specific harm had ever come over them because of the princess, so part of her mind simply refused to wrap around it. Of course, she’d seen how cruel and disdainful people could be for no reason at all, but Tavra was stubborn in believing this much scorn to the crown was going on in their own Paladin ranks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t even something she’d ever </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> but something that had been thrust upon her, with all its weight and trials. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I made </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> I understood the terms of your </span>
  <em>
    <span>service.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’ve been thrown allll the way to the bottom to be a grunt. Bet you’ve never had to go through that before. Scrubbing floors doesn’t exactly seem like </span>
  <em>
    <span>princess</span>
  </em>
  <span> work, and all you royals and nobles like skipping steps often.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Another peel was discarded to the floor, and with each one, Tavra’s anger was mounting. </span><em><span>No.</span></em> <em><span>You need to behave.</span></em></p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d watch my mouth in your place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Paladin said, swinging his gaze over in an arrogant movement that then lingered in his eyes, and the smirk that he faced her with. “Everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> what happened, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> exactly the All-maudra has sent you down here. I’m not afraid of you. Down here my word is as good as yours. In </span>
  <em>
    <span>fact, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it’s slightly better!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed himself away from the wall and sauntered over to Tavra. </span>
</p>
<p><span>“If you really had enough power to be calling </span><em><span>any</span></em> <em><span>shots at all</span></em><span>, you wouldn’t be here. Here’s a piece of advice for you, </span><em><span>princess. </span></em><span>If I were you, I’d use this moment to get used to being bossed around, because it looks like you’ll be here for a while. Not that being a middle child was doing you any favors either.”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>He was taller than her, and he’d leaned down to her level to stare her in the eyes, still grinning arrogantly. It would have been trouble for her to pick a fight with him and he looked like he knew that well, otherwise he wouldn’t be in her breathing space, </span>
  <em>
    <span>taunting her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She had to give him credit for courage at the very least, because the only thing between him and a firm headbut was Tavra’s patience and composure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other gelfling waited patiently, as if hoping to stir some sort of reaction from the princess past her stone-cold fury. His expression sunk into disappointment when he didn’t receive anything in return, with Tavra merely clutching the handle of her brush so hard splinters were almost breaking off. The Paladin straightened and propped his hands on his hips in front of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Serves you right for messing around with a crusty spice-sniffer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s anger detonated with the velocity of a snap trap. Her heel connected abruptly to the side of the Paladin’s knee, knocking the footing from under him and causing a howl of pain. Then, using the momentum, she rammed him against the wall next to her, the edge of her clenched fist wedged sharply under his jaw, enough to stir the fear. And when she saw enough of it in his eyes, she leaned over, now looming over </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> instead. </span>
</p>
<p><span>“If you think for one blink of an eye that I am not here </span><em><span>by my own choice</span></em><span>, you are as daft as you are weak. Let me make this perfectly clear for you with the biggest words I can manage. I will not hesitate</span> <span>to </span><em><span>break you in half</span></em><span> for that remark, even if it means staying here for the rest of my days, and you’d better pray I get back to my station before your mouth runs ahead of you again. And here’s my advice for </span><em><span>you, Paladin.”</span></em></p>
<p>
  <span>She leaned even closer to the now-whimpering gelfling, now cowering away from her gaze.</span>
</p>
<p><span>“If I can smell you, </span><b><em>you’re too close.</em></b> <span>Am I clear?</span><em><span>”</span></em><span> Tavra hissed at him. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yes! Yes! Please!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes </span>
  <em>
    <span>what.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, Ma’am!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Paladin whimpered, trying to sink even further to the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra grabbed the front of his robes and shoved him backwards in one last display before she stepped away and let him crumble to the floor. The Paladin scrambled up on his feet again and managed a curt head bow before he made himself scarce. Tavra snorted with disdain in his direction, idly noting that those scraps were </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the floor, and sighed deeply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It would be a long punishment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinner was about as dull and disappointing as the rest of her day. The food was vapid, despite being plentiful, and no one dared join her at the mess hall table. Though, to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t much different from how she usually had her food. Family dinners weren't something common in the maudren house, and food was usually wolfed down whenever she got a chance to raid the court kitchen. It could have used a bit more salt, she thought absently as she ate, more or less ignoring the cloud of whispers that hadn’t died down one bit since the morning. The only time she paid attention was when a familiar voice sounded off through the whispers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paladin</span>
  </em>
  <span> from earlier. She shot him a foul glance enough to silence him, even with the distance between them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crowd hushed when Tavra stood up from her table and walked off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed over the top that she hadn’t even been allowed a place in the barracks. No. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>cell</span>
  </em>
  <span> that was more fitted for livestock than a gelfling. It was where they tossed drunkards to cool off for the night, or the ones that threw a fit in the courtroom. If her mother would deem her worthy of her place again, Tavra pondered on a few ways this could be improved. However, as the exhaustion was making its presence more strongly known with each step she took, she cared less and less for where she’d be slumbering that night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard opened up the cell, and Tavra strode in without protest. It was locked again behind her, and the guard left to assume their position at the front of the dungeon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a brief moment, Tavra pondered how easy it would have been to sneak off once more, but that would be pushing it. She had to think of a better way to do it, and perhaps get to improve her vanishing technique. She didn’t get to dwell on it for long though, for as soon as she had laid down onto the blanket-covered straw bed, her consciousness faded off. It was a dreamless blank. She’d been tired for so long that getting a full night’s sleep was a true blessing. It felt like only a moment had passed when the sergeant’s spear clanged against the bars of the cell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wake up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra grunted and got up, rubbing at her eyes. The light wasn’t up yet, but that was reasonable. She got up and waited at the door while the lock was turned open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From then on, the day didn’t go much different than the previous one. A meager breakfast that was eaten without much appetite -- she’d actually caught the breakfast hours this time -- and she went right back to scrubbing the halls. It was tough work, but somehow satisfying. For once, it was simple work. There was no diplomacy, no complicated egos, no strategies to plan, you just had a brush, some soap, and had to scrub hard enough to do a good job. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Day by day, there was a routine, and it was… pleasant. No one joined her for meals as more days passed either, but the whispers slowly died down. A few times, Paladins that had been around her before her ‘punishment’ saluted her, only to be promptly admonished by the Sergeant. For the most part, it seemed that people were grateful for an excuse to treat her poorly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wished she could offer them the crown that they might’ve thought brought </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much comfort. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tavra would have happily relinquished it at this point if she’d had the option. It was hard to wrap her mind around the fact that people would call her “Princess” and then disrespect her in the same sentence. She knew most of the Paladins that served at the Citadel, most of them approved and trained by her hand. Why now were most of them behaving so abysmally? What drove them to it? Anger wasn’t the feeling that was at the forefront of her mind -- though she’d earned the right to express it -- but instead bewilderment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was it the fact she never spent much time around them? It was nigh impossible with her mother ordering her left and right all over Skariff on various duties. Tavra supposed she couldn’t count as much of a leader if she wasn’t actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span> for her people. But she didn’t command them that often either, that duty fell mostly upon the All-maudra. Oh, what she wouldn’t have given to have spare nights that she could have joined at their parties. But nowadays, whenever she joined their group, the air would shift, the subtle jokes would fall mute and there was tangible tension in the air. Perhaps their behavior now wasn’t as much of a surprise, particularly with </span>
  <em>
    <span>official</span>
  </em>
  <span> disregard from the All-maudra, </span>
  <em>
    <span>her mother</span>
  </em>
  <span>, herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where some weren’t particularly inclined to be mean, they feared for their station or their pay should they interact with the princess more than was acceptable. But that was alright, Tavra wouldn’t hold it against them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In fact, the treatment had a somewhat surprising effect on her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time a week had passed, she looked less like a princess, and more of a port beggar. She had access to water for washing, but her clothes had definitely seen better days after all the scrubbing and dusting. Her hair was disheveled, and she dared not unravel it from the braids without the proper means to care for it. Instead, it had been tied off in a bun with some ribbons she’d found cleaning one day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, as the days passed, there was a figment of a smile on the princess’ face as she went about her daily duties. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire trine.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was refreshing. Her pace became loose again, and her back had straightened as the tension had slowly worn off her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something nagged at her still, a feeling at the nape of her neck whenever the red-haired Paladin would follow her with his gaze. She didn’t feel like she could trust <em>anyone</em> there, but this one was particularly suspicious, always turning his eyes whenever Tavra caught him staring. She hoped the other Paladin had told enough of his <em>adventures</em> for the others to know to keep their distance if they didn’t mean her well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh broke out from her without Tavra even getting the chance to contain it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe she should be less defensive. No real harm had come to her still, but habits died hard. She thought about Onica, how much she missed her and her sweet touch, and wondered what she was doing, hoping her beloved could feel her heart on the wind and know that her princess was thinking of her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the dawn of her third week, she was up before the signal came. She’d washed up as best she could, and had to admit the one thing that she was heavily missing was a proper bath. She missed talking to her sisters so much. She’d catch glimpses of them every hear and there, but she wasn’t allowed to talk to them, nor were they allowed to speak to her. They’d just exchange pained glances and nods as they passed each other, and were sometimes admonished even for that. </span>
</p>
<p><span>She’d brushed some dirt out of her shirt to a decent state, and cleaned her boots regularly with some spare cloth. Sometimes she’d wash her clothes and wear them even if they were damp on her the next day. At least</span> <span>the straw bedding was being changed regularly, and she’d received another blanket as the nights got colder. Not that she specifically needed it, but she found other uses for it. Her hair was tucked loosely in with her fingers. She’d dared to unravel it the week before, precariously brushing it with her fingers as much as she could. It hadn’t been washed in a long time, so at least the greasy layer was making it easier for her to get it in some form of order.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra pondered stealing some of the soap to wash her hair after dark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the Sergeant came by, she was ready for the day. He’d mellowed greatly from their initial encounter. Perhaps he’d had different expectations on how the new </span>
  <em>
    <span>chore</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the All-maudra would go down. Perhaps he’d also known of Tavra’s reputation as a youngling, and was prepared for the worst, but the reality was that except that </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> complaint he’d received from one of the more seasoned Paladins -- and found hard to believe at that -- Princess Katavra had been no trouble at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His expression held clearly less scorn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have landstrider duty today. Make sure to take some food from the mess hall with you, it will be a while until you return” Varean told her with a tone that sounded almost parental.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir” Tavra nodded with approval as she followed him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, landstrider duty was the most </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> duty the Paladins had to undertake. It was messy, and sometimes dangerous to be flitting about through the easily startled landstriders’ hooves. Her day was brightened though when Luwi, her favorite beast, recognized her and strode over immediately for greeting. It had after all been many weeks since she’d seen her rider. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve missed you too” Tavra cooed, stroking the tall creature as it warbled pleasantly at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well go on then, off to work” came the order from outside the paddock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra sighed and went inside the tall barn to pick up whatever supplies were needed for the endeavor, set aside her small bag of food and the standard-issue cloak she’d been handed to help her brave the cold outside. Tavra wasn’t a particularly chilly person, quite the contrary, but as the suns rolled over the sky, she knew the cloak would prove useful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Little by little, she raked off all the muck gathered on the ground of the stables, quite enjoying doing so while the landstriders took turns to come and inspect her. She had nothing against them, and the gentle beasts’ company was quite soothing, and they seemed to appreciate the work in the way they joyfully tapped their hooves on the cleared earth, playful in their own way. They made cute little chirps and pranced around, which was oddly adorable for a creature that size. Most thought them as mindless pack animals, but you didn’t have to look for too long to start distinguishing personalities. Some were skittish and kept in small groups in the middle of the paddock where they could see most of everything going on. Others came sniffing around the enclosure, trailing any gelfling that might have been a potential host for sugary treats. Some just chose to bask carefree in the triple-suns’ heat. These were the ones that absolutely did not mind having a hoof manually lifted so that the ground could be raked under it. Some good hours had passed with her surrounded by the tall creatures before she could rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess smiled and leaned on her rake, letting out a proud exhale as she looked upon her work. It wasn’t done, of course, but a small break wouldn’t hurt as long as no one admonished her for it. And strangely enough, no one did. That was new…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t the only one there, of course. There were others, Paladins, workers, farmers and stable hands that cared for the landstriders, and it was a strange moment of peace as she stopped to observe the world around her, seeing things she’d never had time to look at. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A short distance away, a young gelfling boy was learning from his mother how to properly prepare the food for the Landstriders. It looked like it would be a long time until he’d actually get to do it, but that didn’t stop the youngling from craning up with their small hands to look up over the table and listen with starry eyes as his mother gently explained the process. Her hood was off and her helmet was sat on the table. While the Citadel was a place of strictness and order, when they had Landstrider duty many Paladins brought their childlings with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was the buzzing of conversation going around, and normally Tavra would have tuned it all out, but there was a snippet that caught her attention as her ears turned with the wind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...fraid it’s only going to get worse with the Sifa.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s train of thought was quickly interrupted as both her ears swung back, and she carefully stole a glance to see who was in the conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An older Paladin, one that was almost never assigned to the Citadel. Much too lazy and prone to gossip, which is exactly what Tavra suspected he was doing now. He was closely followed by a small crowd of bright-eyed young Paladins that seemed to hover and buzz like unamoths fluttering around a bright lantern. Tavra tuned in with full attention, pretending to keep shoveling landstrider waste. They’d stopped briefly by the watering station. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--and I can’t say I blame them. The All-maudra is displeased with them, and trade’s hampered, all because of little miss rogue over there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra swallowed crossly, but kept listening. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare </span>
  </em>
  <span>they?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know the Sifa are going to cause trouble, Master Kellen?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Kellen.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That’s right. She remembered now. It seemed like plain gossip, but something just wasn’t sitting well with her. Why did she feel so anxious? They started moving once more, and Tavra was going to be out of hearing range soon, but she wouldn’t be able to get closer without them noticing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not normally. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra grabbed the bucket of waste that had accumulated so far and ducked into the barn, enough for people to not notice when she swung right back around on her heels and let the vliyaya envelop her like a cloud of shifting light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the middle of day, with the sun shining bright, where the snow wouldn’t provide cover, </span>
  <em>
    <span>but Tavra liked the challenge, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and vanishing magic was something that she strived to hone on any day. How else was she supposed to see her lover? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess snuck across the paddock, footsteps as silent as prowlers in the snow. One wrong move and she’d quickly find herself thrown across, or even pummeled under landstrider hooves, but the shortest way to her target was a straight line, and something told her she wanted to miss as little of this conversation as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘--so I’m pretty known around the tavern down at port” Tavra could hear him pridefully chime as she got closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She needed her full concentration to keep the spell on, focus on the conversation, and keep her footing as well, so much so that she started to feel herself sweat even in the crisp cold of the valley. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He was thrown out, you see, well, more like </span>
  <em>
    <span>shown</span>
  </em>
  <span> out, no one in the tavern can mess with that one. But you know me, ever a trusty sort, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to help him out, and he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>right mess, </span>
  </em>
  <span>couldn’t keep his footing straight if you gave him five silvers for it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His mates were still inside so I offered to keep him company while he waited, and I asked him what he was so upset about. And you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> me, I don’t go about </span>
  <em>
    <span>boasting</span>
  </em>
  <span> in my Paladin garb, I was just a humble citizen out for a drink, and the little bit of Sifa in me helps me blend in better, you know. Anyway, he started </span>
  <em>
    <span>complaining </span>
  </em>
  <span>about this and that and--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not really sure I should be sharing this information. Not the kind of whispers we want going around” the man said with mock concern, rooted more on adding drama to the moment rather than an actual intention of secrecy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh come on, you know we won’t tell!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Pleaaaaaase!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> came a choir of squeaky, not quite mature voices. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, alright, alright, though you have to promise not to tell anyone else.” There was never an intention to hide it. “He told me the Sifa aren’t really happy with how their Maudra has been treating negotiations on their part and…” He leaned in really close to the eager young Paladins. “They say someone’s going to replace her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a collective gasp. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A rebellion, he said, but you didn’t hear it from me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A </span>
  <em>
    <span>rebellion? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Against Maudra Ethri? That didn’t even seem </span>
  <em>
    <span>likely</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tavra was as still as air in a bottle, her vliyaya perfectly camouflaging her, and not even a breath could be heard of her as she sat crouched down near the railing within hearing range. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Should we tell anyone about it?” one of the younger Paladins softly inquired, a look of genuine concern on the youngling’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see why. We’re Vapra, we needn’t concern ourselves with Sifa affairs, much too messy business and besides. Our All-maudra will stand firm, no matter </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> their maudra is. That’s why we’re the first in the eyes of the Lords. Do you think we’d have come this far if we stopped to worry about every single clan out there, my younglings? Let them sort out their own scuffles, and if they </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> our help, they’ll need to ask for favors.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They moved on and Tavra remained behind, rooted in place with her stare fixed into the ground. She felt disappointment. This had been nothing more than a braggart’s story, it hadn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>ended</span>
  </em>
  <span> satisfyingly enough, and there was no telling how much truth there was in what she’d heard. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If any at all</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Many Vapra liked weaving tall tales about themselves, when most of their achievements in life revolved around superficially haggling over already discounted goods, and this one was no different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet, why wasn’t she put at ease?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It could have been that even the </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought </span>
  </em>
  <span>of a rebellion within the Sifa clan had her worried for Onica, if any harm would come to her. But it felt more than that. Perhaps she could ask Onica next time they’d meet? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> that might be too late, and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to worry Onica with it, should it turn out to be a mere thought in the wind. Onica would surely see any trouble in her dreams, wouldn’t she…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The illusion melted off her, but for a while longer, she just sat there, pondering on how to act. Maybe she could ask around, find some contacts and see what she could dig up on her own to confirm or deny. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi! There’s still work to be done, you know!” came the admonishing that broke Tavra out of her trance and back to her given assignment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time the stables were clean, the suns were nearing the mountain edges, and Tavra had worn herself out with worry. She still didn’t know what to do next…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The day had been long, and there were so many things that were swimming around in Tavra’s tired mind, that she had spaced out as she treaded the corridors of the barracks back to her sleeping cell. It was entirely too late when she’d noticed two Paladins flank her and grab a hold of her. They promptly yanked her towards a service closet. Tavra’s first impulse had been to fight them, but they’d quickly released her and made hushing gestures. They were an older male and a younger female, and by their features she could tell they were father and daughter. Tavra was stunned and perplexed as the younger placed a finger against her lips in a request for the princess to be quiet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though a scowl was deeply embedded in Tavra’s brow, she obeyed. The older Paladin looked around the corner to make sure no one was around or listening before he made a sign to the expectant girl. She promptly turned back to Tavra and produced a cloth-wrapped bundle, placing it in Tavra’s empty arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We figured you might like a change of clothes. They’re my size and might be a little loose for you, but they’re clean and good fabrics. We’re not allowed to give you anything, but the Sergeant said he’ll ignore it if it’s just spares. You have two sets, there’s an old brush of mine there too, and mother made a nightgown for you to sleep in. The latter two weren’t in the plan, but they’ll all be none the wiser” the female Paladin rushed to say, finishing with a giggle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra was stunned. She simply stood there, mouth gaping and unable to wrap her head around what was happening. Green eyes fell upon the bundle in her arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… why?” she managed to utter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve helped both myself and my daughter in the Guard, milady” the older gelfling intervened. “You don’t deserve this punishment, and it’s even more unfair for you to suffer among the people that you’ve helped so much. No childling deserves such treatment for something so innocent. It’s not my place to spare you from your sentence, but we will do what we can to make your trial easier.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could tell the hesitation in his body language, but he reached an arm out and rubbed her arm with warm softness that she hadn’t felt for </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra had known this, she’d told it to herself many times, but to hear someone else say it? It broke a dam of feelings that she hadn’t known she was holding back, and it quickly became too much to process for the closed-off princess. To have someone confirm to her that</span>
  <em>
    <span> it wasn’t all just in her head, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that her punishment really was cruel and humiliating, and she wasn’t just an entitled princess for thinking so. Words failed her, but her eyes glistened with tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The younger Paladin could feel her suffering, and emotions were mirrored in tears she was shedding as well as she took Tavra by the shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will be alright, Princess” the girl smiled and was bold enough to embrace her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra didn’t reciprocate, she’d been too thought-jammed to even entertain the thought, but she didn’t fight it one bit, leaning on the other with heavy pain tearing at her chest. The older Paladin joined in and embraced them both, to the sound of a single, muffled sob that came from the Princess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go, before anyone else sees you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra nodded obediently, tears clinging to her eyelashes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for this” she managed to gather the energy to say, clinging to the package against her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl beamed brightly at her, and both the Paladins hurried her off from the corridor inlet. Tavra managed one glance back, to see the two heading off to continue their patrol as if nothing had happened. It was unusually empty for not such a late hour, but then Tavra recalled that the Stonewood Maudra would be visiting that day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She treaded back to her cell, feet unusually heavy. When she locked eyes with the guard, her heart leaped in her throat for a moment, realizing that she was still carrying the somewhat forbidden package in her arms. But then the guard gestured for her to follow without another word, pointedly ignoring what she was holding. Tavra’s heart was beating ferociously in her chest. Was this all an elaborate trap…? She was locked in her cell still expecting something to go horrendously </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few moments until she could breathe well enough to sink to her knees and start unravelling the package. The hands of the seasoned warrior </span>
  <em>
    <span>trembled </span>
  </em>
  <span>untying the delicate string it was all bound together with. It contained what the Paladin had stated. Two sets of clothes, more than enough for her to be able to rotate and wash them properly, a beautiful embroidered gown made out of silk that she didn’t feel like she deserved to receive from people she barely knew. It wasn’t the high-grade silk that the royals were used to, but she could tell the love that had been poured into making it as her hands coursed over the fabric and she bit her lips to try and stave off the tears that were threatening to come out again. There was an old ivory-handle brush that was clean and in good condition. Also hidden within the fabrics, she found soft undergarments, a small package of sugar biscuits, and a tiny mirror. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She cleaned up as best she could in the small wash-basin she had available. Tears began to flow slowly at first, but then more and more as time went on, and by the time she was brushing her freshly washed hair, they were flowing like hot streams over her cheeks, unfiltered and unchecked. She hadn’t cried since she was a youngling, and yet, the tears didn’t seem to want to stop once they’d been let loose. She curled up under the blanket, and the sheer comfort of the gown after sleeping and living in the same clothes for weeks only made the tears flow stronger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra finally fell asleep when the exhaustion of crying overtook her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tavra struggles through her punishment, constantly on the lookout for opportunities to sneak out and see her love, but there are silver linings. A surprise meeting with her sister eases her worries for words left unsaid, and an unexpected encounter with a suspicious Paladin proves to be more beneficial than initially thought. This chapter tackles clan differences, and reveals the presence of a darker shadow from Ethri's past that has returned to claim the throne that they think is rightfully theirs.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The morning rolled in with fresh air. Her eyes were salty and sore, but there was a lightness to her heart. She thought of Onica and her heart ached with a short pang. Tavra went to wash her face and get ready for the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess missed her love dearly, and knowing Onica was in port, and not being able to see her like she used to was a constant source of frustration. Her cell hadn’t been locked in a while, but the corridor that she’d escaped from last time had been barred off after a drunken Paladin had nearly fallen to death off the ledge, and there had been no other opportunities that she could have seized. As she pondered this, however, on the outside there was the calm that everyone was used to seeing her wear, and she barely made a sound in the crisp hours of the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was thus with some alarm that she turned around when hearing hurried footsteps down the stone hall that led to her cell. Her ears folded back with concern, worried that somewhere, </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span>, something had gone wrong, and her paranoia immediately jumped to the forbidden gift she’d received, thinking it had maybe been a trap after all. She hurried to hide everything out of sight. There wasn’t much place to hide </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> but Tavra was resourceful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It came with quite a great deal of surprise that the person who entered her cell before the suns were even up properly, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Seladon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Good grief, </span>
  </em>
  <span>is </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> where they’re keeping you?” Seladon exclaimed in shock at the sight of the cell before her eyes fell on Tavra, the latter of which hadn’t even blinked, but was staring incredulously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, the moment that Seladon’s footsteps started carrying her quickly forward, Tavra’s were meeting her halfway, and the sisters crashed into each other with a tight hug. It felt like an entire trine had passed between them, and Seladon seemed just as reluctant to let go as her sister was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seladon suddenly took Tavra by the shoulders and pushed her back, pale green eyes that the sisters shared scanning worriedly over the soldier princess’s form. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me fix that for you” Seladon quickly prompted, fixating on Tavra’s disheveled hair and turning her around to braid, and for a moment, the other was too stunned to stop her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here??” Tavra exclaimed as she came to her senses, attempting to turn around, only to be quickly and firmly pushed back in place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra let out a long exhale and chuckled softly. How she missed the soft bullying of her eldest sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you, and couldn’t stand it. So I snuck out. You taught me how to, remember?” Seladon admonished lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about mother? And the guards?” Tavra questioned, her tone laced with concern at the fact that ill consequences might befall her sister for this adventure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mother had a bit too much nectar-wine last night, she won’t be up for a while. As for the Paladins, I’m the future Maudra, and they better learn to start respecting orders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Seladon.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the elder’s turn to laugh, a crystalline giggle that few were gifted with hearing. Tavra shook her head lightly, but a smile was stretched on her face, her heart put a little bit at ease. Deft fingers worked quickly through Tavra’s hair, even as messy as it was. Of course, the princess could have done this herself, but there was a comfort between the sisters to braid each other’s hair. So much that it had become an almost sedative practice, and perhaps Seladon knew this well and relied on it to have Tavra not rebel out of the gesture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat down on the hay bed as Seladon continued to make order of Tavra’s hair. Yet somehow the air hung heavy between them after a while. Discovering that her sister had kept such a secret from her, and to find out at such a critical moment had probably been hard, and to be honest with herself, Tavra didn’t quite know where to start, guilt stealing her words from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You probably have a lot of questions” Tavra vocalized after swallowing a painful knot in her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra fell silent, </span>
  <em>
    <span>confused</span>
  </em>
  <span>, her mind plagued with hundreds of questions instead, each toppling over the other and yet all that resulted was more silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would have tried to stop you if I knew what you were doing. You know that. And I’ll still try to stop you if you tell me you want to do something </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger sister took a sharp intake of breath. She was right, of course, and Tavra sometimes hated that about Seladon, but the implications of that statement </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone... </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tavra turned around with wide, questioning eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So don’t tell me” Seladon smiled. “Now turn around, I’m not done braiding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra reluctantly turned around, her shoulders sagging lightly, some tension relieved, yet so much still remaining. But she sat there, quietly, letting her sister patiently braid her hair. The light was slow to creep through the barred window, yet this eventful morning was probably the best that Tavra had had in awhile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are they worth all this trouble?” Seladon asked after a while. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra nodded her response with a soft hum, a soft smile on her face once more as she allowed her thoughts to drift. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s Brea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seladon rolled her eyes, and Tavra might not have known, had it not been for the exasperated noise accompanying the gesture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Being </span>
  <em>
    <span>Brea.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re too hard on her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, someone has to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seladon…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, don’t you start.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>There was a huff from Seladon, and Tavra bit her lips against further comments. “She misses you. Mother didn’t tell her what happened, and she forbade me to tell her either. She suspects, she’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>dumb, </span>
  </em>
  <span>though she acts like it sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Seladon.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll wear my name out, stop it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell her I miss her too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elder sighed softly and wrapped her arms around Tavra from behind as she finished braiding. The younger sunk into the embrace with a sigh of her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you both, always giving me such grief.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra chuckled softly into the embrace, “I love you too, Seladon.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cabin was filled with rich plumes of smoke spiraling in lazy circles, a Sifa in their midst, breathing heavily with sweat beaded on her blue-stained forehead. Curly strands of crimson were stuck to her skin as she’d just come out of the dream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looking into the future again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice made Onica jump before the familiarity of it brought her peace again, eyes focusing on Tae’s frame in the doorway, incense smoke wafting past her and into the humid air outside. Onica loosed a deep sigh and shook her head as the other Sifa made her way deeper into the cabin and pulled a pillow closer to sit next to her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to see if my worries were ill-placed, if maybe I overreacted… I did not want to fight with her” Onica finally spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know… but she’s been tense lately, with all the unrest and everything. It’s hard for </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see eye to eye with her right now” Tae explained, shrugging defensively. “It’s probably not helping…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica shook her head, but her eyes didn’t read anger, despite how she’d raised her tone at her </span>
  <em>
    <span>maudra</span>
  </em>
  <span>, stepping far out of line as far as everyone else in the council had been concerned. Cadia had looked particularly cross with her, but she cared less for him than a bucket of barnacles. It was Ethri that she was worried about… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tae had been there, and as usual, in the middle of it all. Onica knew she wouldn’t take sides between her friends, but she was there to give comfort, and that was appreciated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No” Onica said, head shaking and the scowl on her brow deepening. “And it worries me. Just a crushing sense of unease…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think something will come of it?” Tae asked with concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica sighed deeply, wrapping her arms around herself. She’d made a mess, and with nothing solid to go on either. But the feeling was undeniable, how could she let it lie…? If something were to happen to Ethri on account of her not speaking up, she could never forgive herself. The rampant string of thoughts and worries was eased when Tae wrapped her arms around her, squeezing her lightly in a warm hug that Onica couldn’t help but to accept, letting out a pained sigh as she let herself ease into the embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be alright…” Tae whispered reassuringly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully it will…” Onica whispered, wishing that her gut feeling was wrong this time.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Days had gone by since Seladon’s surprise visit. It had passed as quickly as it had arrived, and it left Tavra feeling lonely once more. She had no friends here… Well, she had no actual friends </span>
  <em>
    <span>period, </span>
  </em>
  <span>besides her sisters of course. Her mother had never really allowed it, particularly with the Paladins, whose social standing was more often than not among the lower castes of Ha’rar. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>something to do, and never time to actually get to properly </span>
  <em>
    <span>meet</span>
  </em>
  <span> any of them. And yet, somehow kindness bloomed anyway. Like the father and daughter that had helped her with clothes and supplies. She didn’t get to thank them properly, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it out in the open, and there hadn’t been a private enough occasion for her to do that. They had exchanged knowing glances as they’d passed each other during breakfast, but nothing more than that. It seemed to be enough for them, but it wasn’t for Tavra, not knowing how much it had meant to have someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> her in her time of need. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She vowed she would make it up to them should she recover her station in her mother’s graces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Making friends had never been her strong suit, she’d never quite had the chance to as a child, constantly surrounded by court members, and punished severely whenever she dared to escape and play with the other children outside the gates of the Citadel. And as the years passed, it became harder and harder to do so. Rigorous diplomacy training had not helped the matter at all. So she sat alone at the dinner table, Paladins still giving her a wide berth on orders to do so and keep an eye on her while they were doing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra sipped her tea in silence, a bare plate before her. The food had been bland and somewhat tasteless, but satisfying for an empty stomach. Chatter was dying down all around her as her respective peers each either retreated for the evening, or set off into their night shift patrol. She sat at the table a little while longer, enjoying the quiet that had set in when she saw him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Staring at her from across the room. A pair of grey eyes framed by reddish hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess scowled lightly. He’d turned his head upon noticing, but Tavra had already caught it. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him doing so. He was keeping an eye on her, and she despised him for it. Probably not the only one that was doing it, but by far the most obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been a fisherman when she’d picked him up, scraping a living by the docks in wintertime. Mixed heritage, at least as far as she could tell. The Sifa all seemed to know him well. Had lent them all a hand securing the docks on a heavy storm, and she figured he’d make a good swordhand with some training. But he stood out a lot, everyone seemed to know him, but not one that would call him “friend”. He was just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>around</span>
  </em>
  <span> most of the time. Spying on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she’d known what kinds of snakes she was warming, she would have never called some of them to join the Paladins. First that scum that challenged her on cleaning duty, and now this one. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> revisit her policies when this was all over. The empty tea cup was loudly placed upon her plate as she carried her dishes off to wash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would spite them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All of them. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The masses had retreated to their rooms, and so had she, but not for long. She waited until they’d all migrated around under the cover of night, either to drink, party, or… </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> activities. It was almost hilarious that they thought no one knew. Well, at least Tavra did, but then again she wasn’t so clean-slated herself, and serving as testimony was what she was about to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her magic concealed her in the dim, lamp-lit corridors as she made her way down towards the open exits that she knew, careful not to bump into any of the night patrols. Her shimmer wouldn’t help hide her at close distance. She stalked her way down the stairs until she saw an open exist. There were no guards around, so if she could just dash her way out, she could </span>
  <em>
    <span>make it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She could see her lover that night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A single moment of reverie had cost her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d slammed face first into a Paladin that had come out of a side corridor. She looked up, adrenaline already coursing like fire through her veins, and-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. Not this one.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The red-haired one, locking eyes with her. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> what she was doing, she could see it in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The All-maudra requested your presence before she leaves for the Castle of the Lords” he announced, his voice deceivingly calm. “Follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra swallowed painfully, quite honestly feeling the urge to knock him out on the spot, her teeth grinding so fiercely that they could have broken through steel. Her nails dug into the bottoms of her palms as she clenched her fists and trailed after him, wishing him all the curses she knew and </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> as they walked quietly down the passageways, the Paladin leading, and Tavra trailing close behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d been too distracted to notice that the path they were taking did not lead up to the throne room, nor the Maudra’s personal chambers. Instead, they found themselves at another exit. Tavra’s train of thought collapsed in confusion as the Paladin stepped aside and turned to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go. The other entrance is being guarded by order of the Sergeant. You can sneak down to the paddocks and head off from there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” Tavra blurted out, confusion painted vividly on their face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to see them, aren’t you? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Go. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The All-maudra already left half an hour ago. This is your chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra couldn’t even articulate, what was happening…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would--?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time for that now, just go!” he encouraged, in a hushed but urgent tone as he ushered her out the exit and quickly dashed back inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra found herself outside in the moonlight, still stunned for words, though her footsteps started slowly carrying her down the set path to the paddocks, a service exit that was usually </span>
  <em>
    <span>locked</span>
  </em>
  <span> at night. Why had it been open…? And why was he doing this? The further she walked, the more questions accumulated in her mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped dead in her tracks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a trap. She was certain of it. She’d been set up, and like an utter </span>
  <em>
    <span>fool</span>
  </em>
  <span> fallen right into it. Anger coursed through her veins once more as she turned heel and stormed back into the Citadel, scouring the halls to find the little traitor before he got the information to whoever had paid him to do it. Sifa never </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>do anything for free, did they? Maybe her mother had been right about some things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found him patrolling the western wing, and he’d barely managed to turn over his shoulder to the sound of footsteps before her hand found a full grip in his cloak, right above his shoulder, and pulled him back, slamming him into the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the--?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You thought you had me, didn’t you? Did my mother put you up to this, or was it someone else wanting a pretty penny and favor with the All-maudra?” Tavra hissed at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a moment of confusion in which he was perfectly silent, after which anger seemed to cross </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’re you doing here?? I cleared the way for you!” he hissed right back at her, trying to keep it hushed as low as possible, accent slipping into a distinguishable Cera-Na quip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What...?” Tavra asked, taken aback by the reaction she’d received.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No’one</span>
  </em>
  <span> put me up to it! You’ere looking for an opening and I gave you one! </span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span> an excuse!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a momentary pause in which it seemed that both of them were rethinking their words and their choices, and the Paladin was the one to speak first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess” he began, bowing his head, seemingly realizing that he’d been hush-yelling at one of the heirs of the throne. “You must go. The All-maudra will be gone until noon tomorrow, and there won’t be another chance like this for a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I know you’re not tricking me into this?” Tavra asked with a deep and suspicious scowl still on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’d be in a heap load of trouble for leaving that door open and convincing the regular troop to guard another door if it gets out that you managed to escape” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra’s expression fell flat, and she slowly eased back from the Paladin, letting him regain his footing, fingers uncurling out of the front of his robes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, still as confused, if not more than she’d been the first time through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can talk another time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name, Paladin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a small smile, brushing his robes back into place, “Eidrin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Eidrin. I owe you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t. Now go! Princess.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bowed to her, even if she knew they weren’t allowed to. Tavra still didn’t understand his motives, but it felt sincere. She bowed in return and started backing away towards her intended exit once more, keeping him in her sights for the longest time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Worry plagued her still as she flew to the coast. It was a clear night, so she had to take a longer route to stay under the cover of the mountain shadows. Her love’s ship was anchored in the same spot, but the lights were out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she out…?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra crept up along the side of the hull, quietly latching onto the ropes and climbing up on the far side where she was less likely to be seen. She hopped onto the deck and snuck up to the door of the cabin. Knowing better than to just sneak into the cabin, she knocked quietly. Once, then another, then another, until she finally heard stirring on the other side. The door opened and the two women connected eyes once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica looked freshly woken from slumber, but that didn’t stop her just barrelling into Tavra as soon as she realized it was her. She promptly pulled her inside and shut the door, rushing to light some candles to illuminate the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thra have mercy, you’re going to give me a </span>
  <em>
    <span>heart attack!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Onica mildly complained as she rushed about with her sleeping gown gathered up in one hand to keep it from dragging over the floor. “Tavra, you’re going to get into </span>
  <em>
    <span>proper trouble</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you keep doing this!” she said, whirling around to face the princess with upset. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know” was all that she said, softly, already within reach to wrap her arms around her beloved, pulling her into a tight embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not joking with you, Katavra! It’s not worth you getting into so much trouble over this!” Onica argued, fighting back away from the embrace and looking at Tavra with a cross expression. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Tavra knew that behind all the anger, what it all really was, was concern. And she couldn’t deny that, of course, couldn’t put her worries to rest either. To do so she’d have to lie, and she didn’t want to. Not to Onica.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every moment I can steal to be by your side is worth it to me” Tavra cooed, leaning in to kiss her beloved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate it</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you do that!” Onica said, getting out of the way of the kiss, her crimson curls flicking as she did, but she didn’t protest when Tavra’s lips kissed the side of her head anyway. “You act like it’s nothing, like we’re not running from persecution in an already messy political tangle!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t deny that” Tavra agreed quietly. “But if I have little time to spend with you, given the choice, I would take that little time over anything else.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica sighed with exasperation, finally throwing her arms over her love’s shoulders, and leaning on her despite still refusing to look her in the eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate how I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>stay mad</span>
  </em>
  <span> at you either” Onica grumbled, resting her face on Tavra’s shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around her beloved, taking a deep breath of her scent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no incense worth its coin that could calm her better than Tavra’s smell. A deep sigh sounded from her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do I have you for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Until morning, at best. But...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra gently took Onica by the shoulders and pushed her back enough for their eyes to connect. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I may be in a fair bit of trouble when I get back…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tavra!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica burst angrily, her face cycling through emotions, visible with the biting of her lips and the twitching of her brow. “What happened?” she finally mustered to ask. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess had never been very good with words, not even around Onica. That was the good part, that she never had to be anything she wasn’t when they were together. Part of the reason she loved her so much, really. An oasis in the crushing expanse of expectations placed upon her and her sisters since they could barely utter their own names. Here there was peace, there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>love, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and she was allowed to be selfish. But Tavra wasn’t going to be selfish enough to put Onica in danger as well. So the apprehension gave way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s one of the Paladins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica swallowed a painful knot, but grabbed Tavra’s hand anyway, and coaxed her down onto a sit of pillows, gathering up her nightgown to sit near her, deep sea-green eyes staring with worry at her beloved. Tavra sighed and sat with her, folding her legs and attempting to relax, even a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She told her everything, from the suspicious behavior she’d noticed out of him early on in her gauntlet, leading all the way up to the moment he’d aided her to sneak out, and as far as Tavra was concerned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>none</span>
  </em>
  <span> of it made sense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’s Sifa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra nodded quietly, a solemn frown nested on her brow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He has to be at </span>
  <em>
    <span>least </span>
  </em>
  <span>half, but I’d bet a hand that he’s from Cera-Na.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a name? Something? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> I can go on?” Onica questioned, equally worried as her lover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra brightened up all of a sudden. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Eidrin.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eidrin?? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Eidrin...” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica exclaimed with surprise, and then relief as she melted back into the pillows. “We’re safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra said nothing, but her expression was full of question marks as she leaned over Onica with a puzzled expression, her braids flowing along with the motion, waiting for Onica to explain herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica clung to Tavra to get back up, the sturdy princess anticipating the intention with an arm that helped her up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> wondering what happened to him, I haven’t seen his ship in the Ha’rar harbor for a good long time. He’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paladin</span>
  </em>
  <span> now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra nodded solemnly, still feeling like there was a large gap that she was still missing. “Yes. He helped save the merchants at shore during a vicious hail storm. He seemed to have good talent so I offered to recommend him. I had </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’d made a mistake. Was I wrong…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica sighed pleasantly and nodded, before crawling over onto Tavra’s lap and curling into her arms. The silvery-haired gelfling didn’t spare any eagerness to accept it, wrapping Onica into a hug and squeezing her tightly against her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>from Cera-na, you got that part right. A lot of people knew him there, when he </span>
  <em>
    <span>left</span>
  </em>
  <span> a lot of us looked sadly upon it. It felt like he was giving up on the Sifa way…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d he leave…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica shook her head into Tavra’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wasn’t very vocal about it, but suppose hearing your love matters discussed around every corner of the bay wears you out enough to want to get away from it all. He left up north to the port of Ha’rar, and did fishing there for a while, but the catch isn’t as bountiful as down into the current. Last I talked to him he was working in the port tavern to put some food on the table.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica lifted off Tavra’s shoulder to look at her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You likely gave him a much better life than he could have expected by himself. I think… I think this was his way of trying to pay you back...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra’s eyes scanned all over Onica’s head, rampant thoughts about the many </span>
  <em>
    <span>apologies</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’d have to utter, and the inward shame cast on herself for the reaction she’d had. And, of course, her sifan lover was quick to catch upon the train of thought derailing in the mind of her beloved just by looking at her, a raised brow the signal that she wasn’t going to get away with just silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, uhh… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>may</span>
  </em>
  <span> have attacked him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought he was setting me up into a trap!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica’s gaze grew colder and sharper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just because he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sifa</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no words to counter. Not that Tavra had ever been good at using them, but because in this circumstance it was exactly what had happened. The silence between them grew into a cold, awkward space as Onica peeled herself away from Tavra’s embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She might have as well stabbed her, it would have probably hurt less.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared! </span>
  </em>
  <span>When shit like that is all you’ve been hearing stories about all your damned life, it’s hard to tear it from your head, and to my dumb fear-riddled head, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it made sense!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica turned fully away, sitting up from the nest of pillows and walking off towards the stove to stoke the fire inside, gestures trying to pour her </span>
  <em>
    <span>anger</span>
  </em>
  <span> into it while Tavra still sat rooted in place. She wasn’t sure she could get up at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I damn near believed all of it until I met </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was still no response from Onica besides the crackling of embers within the stove, getting disturbed with a pick to make room for new wood. The silence felt like the weight of the entire sky upon her shoulders, and it made them sink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s worth about as much as two-day old hooyim, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> do better…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will need to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sharp reply that Tavra felt was deserved, her eyes sinking to her palms, fidgeting absently with her fingers in the silence. It was with some surprise that she felt a tender palm on her cheek, though she could not bring herself to look Onica in the eyes. Fortunately for her, Onica hadn’t given her a choice in the matter, lifting her chin up until she had no choice but to meet her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I trust that you will succeed” the far-dreamer told her, a smile melting through the upset expression that still lingered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soldier-princess’ eyes glazed with tears as they locked with her lover’s. Onica’s hand stroked over her cheek, thumb brushing tenderly over it before it lifted to smooth over her hair. Tavra’s head leaned forward, and she pressed her forehead against Onica’s stomach, arms wrapping around her, hiding her face even as Onica’s hands stroked gently over her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too…”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ma’am?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Tiaan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A goblet clinks ever so softly, placed with grace upon a stained crystal tray. The finely-garbed sifa made his way deeper into the chamber, the orange light of the flames from the fireplace dancing upon his figure. Icy blue eyes fixed upon him as he approached. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s been a new development that I think might be of interest to you” he said with a wicked little grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice was as smooth as honey, but sounded dangerously laced with venom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some events transpired today during the council meeting, one of Ethri’s close </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> manifested quite verbally against her decisions. It caused quite a deal of unrest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onica, Cadia’s apprentice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can she be bribed, perhaps </span>
  <em>
    <span>persuaded</span>
  </em>
  <span> in our favor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would not wager, my maudra. It would endanger our plan…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My</span>
  </em>
  <span> plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Of course!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why then did you bring this to me?” she asked, one finger swirling circles around the rim of the goblet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking perhaps we could use this in </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> ways…” the Sifa said, wringing his hands nervously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence as an answer, a slight tilt of the chin in his audience a sign to continue on his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Their relationship is close enough that it would be problematic to try and sway the fardreamer in our favor, however… Should their conflict continue or escalate, we might twist this in our favor. And if the timing is right, she might prove to be our key to eliminate Ethri. Whispers and gossip go far, and fights between </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> sometimes escalate down a… </span>
  <em>
    <span>perilous path...”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Tiaan, sometimes I look at you and wonder if Lord Skeksil himself has blessed you with just the conniving wits I need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure at the other end of the conversation finally stood, a good hand or two taller than her counterpart, and by the way the other sifa shrunk in on himself at the act, it was a good advantage. As she stepped out into the light cast by the fire, the golden strands in her hair gleamed fiercely over a dark auburn mass of long curls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>waiting</span>
  </em>
  <span> for something like this. Ahh, I could almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span> this when the unrest started. The winds are in my favor this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fingers traced over the scar indented in her cheek, carved from her jaw right up to under her eye. A punishment from Lord Skeksa from the night of the challenge. The night that </span>
  <em>
    <span>fraud</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ethri was proclaimed Maudra. She’d stepped out of line, she understood that now. It had not been the right way to earn the Lord Mariner’s favor. But now… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> there was another chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My sister’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>brat</span>
  </em>
  <span> has been toying with power for long enough. Power she doesn’t understand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Power</span>
  </em>
  <span> that can be used to elevate the Sifa on higher peaks than ever before. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the throne with no right to be there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the loft of her cabin, the curtains were swept away, the Omerya lying squarely in the middle of the landscape, like a hive-mother for the Sifa fleet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Omerya is my birthright, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> command it. Soon Lord Skeksa shall see who </span>
  <em>
    <span>truly </span>
  </em>
  <span>deserves to be maudra, once precious little Ethri gets tangled up in the ropes of her own political mess. And let’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>hope.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A shrewd giggle sounded sharply against the wooden walls of the chamber. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That she doesn’t end up </span>
  <em>
    <span>choking herself</span>
  </em>
  <span> in them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curtains fell back in their place, and the gelfling turned back to her acolyte. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep an eye on her. Fan any discord and gossip you can. I will see about recruiting the necessary fodder to help us succeed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you command, Maudra Sateera.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She startled awake, her smooth brow glistening with cold sweat. Whispers, loud and threatening, many many voices, overlapping, screaming, arguing, the manifestation of repressed memories and worries plaguing her when sleeping. It was warm here though, and there was a lamp on a table shedding a pleasant light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra took a deep breath and the smell of spices filled her nostrils. It wasn’t long before Onica appeared, still in her nightgown, carrying a bowl of steaming soup as she sat down next to Tavra. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been tossing and turning the entire time. I figured I’d make you something warm to eat” she said, taking a dazed Tavra’s palms and placing them on the bowl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no words yet from the princess, just a grateful sigh. She still couldn’t comprehend how she’d been so fortunate to have someone like Onica. The bowl was warm, and it made the tension balled up in her frame ease a little bit. It tasted delicious, savoury and bountiful in flavors. She let herself appreciate it for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t slept” Tavra noted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t” Onica answered, shrugging softly and leaning against Tavra’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One hand came off the bowl to wrap around her beloved and feel her close, rubbing her side in soothing motions over the thick nightgown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tavra’s thoughts strayed back to the conversation she’d heard by the paddocks. Did it hold any bit of truth? Should she worry Onica with it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>yet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to go soon” Tavra noted.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Onica nodded quietly against her arm, slipping her own to wrap around Tavra’s and hold onto her for a little while longer. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I loved writing this chapter. The tension resulting from Tavra's encounter with Eidrin, as well as a solid base of clan hatred made for a good insert. Of course Onica is her lover now, but Tavra still has to unlearn a great deal of preconceptions that have been instilled in her since early childhood, and this chapter captures a little bit of that struggle. Seladon's visit helped me tie together the bonds of the sisters more, and I absolutely loved laying it out on paper -- metaphorically -- because I love their relationship so much and I wanted to paint a little of it, and I hope I succeeded! Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Tavra gets more used to her new existence, she has several noteworthy encounters during her days of service. We get to see her mother's view of the situation, and a glint of her motives. Eidrin proves to have a bigger role than anticipated in the whole endeavor, and as Tavra gets involved deeper with the rumor of an upcoming mutiny, he becomes a valuable ally. Though they do not see each other as often as before, Tavra and Onica find ways to be together, even if there is dangerous potential to be interrupted or discovered. Brea gets limited time to spend with her sister as well, this time with the All-maudra's approval.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The morning started off as any other she’d seen for a while. Get up, grab some food, get to the chores of that day. That day was a rather pleasant activity, at least for Tavra, namely cleaning up and polishing the training weapons. It was a mindless activity that she often used to unwind anyway, nevermind the actual amounts of weapons she had to do, but she was confident she could get through them by the end of the day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d tried to grab a hold of the red-haired Paladin, Eidrin, in hopes of getting to properly apologize and perhaps talk, but he’d been dodging her for days. She couldn’t quite figure out </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was so efficient at it, but the fact remained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There would no doubt be a good opportunity one of these days.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Until then, well… Best focus on the task at hand. The weapons weren’t in their best shape. A few were kept sharp and constantly used, but most were grimy and some almost rusting, which made many gelfling not want to use them, and they kept deteriorating even more because of that. Tavra could think of a few analogies to that train of thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She settled at the workbench, stones, scrubs, oils, and rags on hand next to the pile of blades she had to go through. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra missed her own. Her mother had had no right to take it. Forged and crafted by her own two hands. Had spent many nights toiling over it after her daily chores were sorted. A fine blade made for her own hands, an extension of her spirit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing lightly, she picked up the first one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, the world hadn’t stopped around her. Paladins were still training, new recruits being taught or practicing. She paid them no heed, the noise around was almost soothing. It had been a while since she’d had the chance to practice with someone. Though no one would outright spar with her, the tension around her presence had eased greatly. There were no more hushed whispers every time she’d materialize into the room, and people didn’t cut a path for her anymore. She’d become a regular presence, and kindness was more prevalent. Sure, there was the matter of discovering the </span>
  <em>
    <span>snitch, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but that too would be dealt with in time. Tavra had come to see and understand that it wasn’t as much of a rarity as she’d thought when she’d felt like a cornered animal among strangers that were out to get her. Had she done something to cause that change? She had no idea, but she felt closer to many now than ever before. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been hard to bond with the Paladins. The missions she’d get with them were few and far between, and while her mother hadn’t outright forbade her from mingling with them, it was severely frowned upon. She had duties and etiquette to mind after. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the lower classes were out of the question. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra had struggled with that idea for a long time as a growing youngling, but now she supposed she had grown used to it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps it was time to break some habits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She worked with diligence, it was almost therapeutic, not getting sent off to god knows where acting as a glorified messenger or doing some tedious job that made her spine hurt for having the metaphorical stick up her ass all day long. For once, she was allowed to slouch. She had just wiped the sweat from her forehead onto the shoulder of her shirt when she heard footsteps approaching, one ear tilted behind her as the rest of her head soon followed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sergeant Varean.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess Tavra” he greeted, nodding respectfully, which caught Tavra with a little bit of surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked… </span>
  <em>
    <span>better.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the bitter energy was missing, and he looked more collected of sorts? And he was almost smiling even? He cast his eyes down towards her work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re making excellent progress with the training weapons, I see…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir” Tavra said with a nod, still puzzled about this encounter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By all means, don’t let me stop you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her shoulders tensed up and she turned back towards the blade she was working on, carefully smoothing it over the whetstone. The Sergeant merely assumed position at her side, overseeing the training. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve had quite an influence on them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra blinked in surprise, stopping mid motion to look up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Paladins” Varean replied, wrinkles forming on his face as he dared a smile. “You haven’t noticed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra quietly shook her head and looked out onto the sparring ground, momentarily catching eye-contact with two of the combatants, who promptly resumed their battle. It made the sergeant chuckle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You haven’t. They vye for your attention, training harder than ever before. Chores aren’t as much of a problem now, and I’ve even caught them having a draw about who gets the chance to aid you for the day. Quite frankly, you’ve made my job here much easier…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra had no words available, instead she just looked at Varean with surprise. SHe’d seen glimpses of it, of course, but to hear it spoken loudly was… different.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feels less like commanding a herd of </span>
  <em>
    <span>childlings” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he sighed bitterly. “Seeing you toil like the rest of them inspired quite a bit of change.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to look at her with sharp eyes, scanning her reaction. Tavra, however, had no dissimulation to offer this time. Surprise was still fixed on her features, but there was something different added to the mix now. A bitterness of her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To be quite honest with you, I was not expecting this outcome when you were sent to me. I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>expecting</span>
  </em>
  <span> another disobedient childling I’d have to wrangle in check.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no reply, just a light huff as Tavra returned her attention to the blade, smoothing it with care over the stone once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s like a vacation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Varean’s turn to look upon her with surprise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How so?” came the question with almost paternal warmth in its tone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause, a momentary hesitation before Tavra allowed herself to speak, a disdainful chill to her tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve had better sleep than most of the past few years put together. I don’t have endless duties to attend to. I can speak freely to people without scrutiny... “ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you miss?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My sisters.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And my lover.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Sergeant turned to oversee the sparring once more, yelling out a few instructions several times while Tavra continued to work on the blades. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should train them one of these days. They might learn a thing or two. You’re an excellent fighter, like your mother before you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could catch herself, she snorted and rolled her eyes. It felt like someone had knocked her upside the head with a brick made of poo. The sword made a particularly sharp clink as it passed over the stone with invigorated strength. The Sergeant realized he might have made a mistake -- and to be quite frank Tavra was surprised he </span>
  <em>
    <span>cared -- </span>
  </em>
  <span>and promptly silenced himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was quiet for a while, the sounds of blades crashing the only one filling the enclosure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you’re relieved of your punishment…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“If.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When. Will you continue to join us for anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve always tried,” Tavra replied with a mix of sadness and bitterness. “I might have about as much success as before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Sergeant loosed a deep painful sigh. Did he truly believe what she’d said? Did he understand now how much of this was outside of her control? Was there something else there? She couldn’t know, or hope to understand. Neither of them seemed to be the chatty type. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But whenever you will need of me, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be there. As I always have.” How had no one </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen it</span>
  </em>
  <span> before? Why had it taken weeks upon weeks of toil for her to be granted respect above that given to a  rowdy drunkard?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words appeared to have stricken a chord. There was renewed awe in Varean’s eyes, and he struggled with words for a moment, his brow creasing and smoothing repeatedly before any words managed to exit him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will be moving you out of the cell space. I have arranged a room to be prepared for you for the rest of your stay here. When you finish here, I’ll have someone show you to your new space.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“But--”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I can’t very much have a functional soldier in poor living conditions, now can I?” the Sergeant quipped before Tavra even got to say another word. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She saw the sharpness of his eyes, the edge of wit and a momentary relapse into the strong-willed Vapra he’d likely been before the years of court had worn on him. There was no room for argument, and Tavra respected it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir” she nodded, obediently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sergeant Varean turned on his heels and with a wink, he passed by and melted back into the corridors he’d emerged from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra didn’t get to trail after him for long that she saw another face appear out of the same doorway. That one </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paladin</span>
  </em>
  <span> that had riled her up on her first day of trial. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she watched him walk towards her with the demeanor of a shamed fizzgig with its tail between its legs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess Tavra…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> she was a princess, hm? Still, he stood at attention, but that didn’t mean he would be spared her icy gaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-- I wanted to apologize for my behavior…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still care for your job, don’t you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paladin?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He flinched at the venom in her voice, and that made it a little bit satisfying to Tavra. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but,” he hesitated, wringing the front of his robes in-between his nervous hands, “I’ve, uhh… Thought about what I did, and on top of the fact that I misjudged you…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>heavily </span>
  </em>
  <span>paid the price for it, with every bit of feral retaliation that Tavra had been capable of producing at that moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was very wrong of me to do what I did…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was barely looking up from his shoes now. Her face still held skepticism. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I fully understand if you want to relieve me from my post.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Sergeant put you up to this, didn’t he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I--! Yes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Partially</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he interjected, finally able to look her in the eyes, and she could see panic nested deeply in there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra rolled her eyes and shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I had a heavy conscience, and I went to him to talk about it.” Tavra could have sworn the fabric of that robe should have torn by now with all the wringing. “He told me that my fate rests upon the crown and I… Well I suppose I deserve my fate” he sighed in resignation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“For </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>fuck’s</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> sake!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was uncertain what had brought the activity in the barracks to a grinding halt. Perhaps it was the cursing. It could have been that everyone seemed to have been reminded that Princess Katavra of Ha’rar </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> own a loud and commanding voice. The loud clang of a sword being slammed with anger onto the stone workbench surely did not help. The Paladin looked like he would have run as if molten rock was on his heels if he hadn’t been </span>
  <em>
    <span>rooted in place. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As if I’m not holding enough burdens to bend my spine like a field worker, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>walk in here</span>
  </em>
  <span> and place it upon me like the most natural thing on the face of Thra. I have less interest in this task than there is hair on a nebrie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Any royal composure had been completely forsaken, Tavra was almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>bleeding </span>
  </em>
  <span>energy. It was raw and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It had taken trine upon trine of welling up to get to the hair-trigger explosion the Paladin was having to deal with now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it. Fuck. Get in the ring.“ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She reached behind her and latched with talon-like precision onto the handle of a freshly cleaned blade, flinging it towards the Paladin. He barely managed to catch it, narrowly avoiding injury and he now clutched it to his chest, backpedaling when Tavra stomped towards him with another blade in hand, finger pointed menacingly at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to apologize? You </span>
  <em>
    <span>fight me</span>
  </em>
  <span> over it. If you win, you get to walk off and rethink what yesmit brought you here. And if I win, both you and the Sergeant get to go </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck yourselves </span>
  </em>
  <span>because I want absolutely fuck-all to do with your pathetic apologies. You think you’re a Paladin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra cocked her chin in defiance, aggressive stance at the ready as she growled her challenge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Prove it.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Paladin stammered, trying to find his words before the command interrupted him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“Now!”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He quickly scampered towards the ring. The other combatants had enough wits about them to vacate the premises and dodge the princess’ ire as she stalked towards her challenge. At least she had expected one, but was promptly disappointed. With a trip, an underhand swing and a shoulder shove, the Paladin was in the dirt with his blade flung across the training ring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get out of my sight” Tavra hissed, grabbing onto her forehead in an attempt to contain her anger and frustration before it escalated to even greater peaks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hand began to shake, even as the offending Paladin counted his blessings and hightailed it out of her sight, still rubbing the spot on his shoulder where Tavra’s shoulder had collided into with enough strength to wind him for a moment. Her own blade was thrown into the dirt in frustration, upheaving a heavy plume of dust. Two more blades to clean now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned sharply over her shoulder when she heard the thumping of a pair of boots behind her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing in front of her was the red-haired Paladin. Eidrin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hope </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’re in the mood for a fight, because that’s all you’re getting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, actually… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eidrin assumed a defensive saber stance. By the book, and a </span>
  <em>
    <span>challenge</span>
  </em>
  <span> to break. An impish expression crossed her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her wings buzzed with excitement as she lunged forwards, rolling forward over the shoulder to grab her sword and slam into the Paladin’s defense with the same momentum. Sparks flew, but it caught him only a little off-guard, steadying himself against her upper cut. A challenging clash of glances before Tavra continued her assault with a string of well-connected slashes. Eidrin back-pedaled but parried quite nimbly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her next hit was hit with a strong counter, allowing him to gain back the footing he lost. Where Tavra was aggressive and excellent at </span>
  <em>
    <span>breaching</span>
  </em>
  <span> defenses, Eidrin made up for it in a firm defense counter strategy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This proved to be a proper challenge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The room was quiet, or at least Mayrin thought it was. There was a courtesan droning on about some skirmish down at the docks. He was disinterested enough that she’d blocked out his voice halfway through the speech. He’d used entirely more words than was acceptable to convey the message, even by Vapra standards. In the back of her head, she was running procedures, assessing gravity and what she’d need to follow up with to calm the spirits. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the outside, it looked like she’d been perched solemnly on her throne, quiet as the marble it was made of. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That will be enough for now” she finally spoke, dismissing her boring speaker with a wave of her hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had become dark before she’d even become aware of it. Golden lamplight now danced over the polished walls. Her fingers tapped nervously on the armrests as the rest of the court peeled away, with the Paladins closing the escort to allow the All-maudra her privacy for the evening. She may have not noticed one lingering behind if she hadn’t spoken. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All-maudra?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Paladin” Mayrin answered with a tired, benevolent voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know it’s late, but can I speak to you for a moment?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I make time for my Paladins” she smiled once more, but despite her face wrinkling with laughter lines, the expression behind them was devoid of meaning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A mechanical gesture, done out of habit and show of face more than anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Paladin stepped forward, removing her helmet to place it under her arm before kneeling in front of the All-maudra. She was a young, proud-looking vine, slender and strong, with pale golden hair braided into a neat bun that would sit flat under a helmet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With princess Tavra’s recent departure into service, I grow concerned with the safety of our village. There is growing unrest with the Sifa, and I fear we may be dealing with an insurrection soon. With your permission, I am fully prepared to take on the role of defending Har’ar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Which I trust that as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paladin</span>
  </em>
  <span> you should be prepared to do at any time, under any command or circumstance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soldier looked up to find the All-maudra’s steeled eyes keen on her. But she’d come prepared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your grace, what I meant was--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m well aware of what you </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Paladin. My dear </span>
  <em>
    <span>childling</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I do hope that this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>an expectation for </span>
  <em>
    <span>gratification</span>
  </em>
  <span> for your little act of treason against my daughter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, of course not!” the Paladin quickly retorted, through the steady grip of uncertainty was starting to spread across her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you certain? Because it seems that it has </span>
  <em>
    <span>emboldened you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gave you aspirations that you have no merit to” All-maudra Mayrin continued, a relentless assault delivered in words as cold as a steady mountain river, just as calm and just as deadly. “Frame it how you’d like, my dear, treason it remains. My daughter took you under her wing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>trained you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>gave you a well-earned living within the Citadel, and you repaid her--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All-maudra, I--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By breaking her trust. To me, of course, which in essence of the act I have appreciated, but for different reasons, that are apparently beyond your comprehension.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it was possible to shrink enough that one could meld into the floor, it seemed like the pale-faced Paladin was attempting it with no success, ears lowered submissively and wings plastered onto her back. One couldn’t just walk away from the All-maudra, and her boldness had proved to be a grave miscalculation that she couldn’t escape, and the dawning of that realization was bringing cold sweat to her smooth brow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mayrin had her fixed on the spot with her gaze alone, not having moved an inch from her royal seating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a </span>
  <em>
    <span>position</span>
  </em>
  <span> you aspire to as well! You envision yourself as Captain of my loyal guard, yet your loyalty has been tested and </span>
  <em>
    <span>broken. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ve seen and fought wars before you became a thought in your parents minds. My daughter has been groomed for this from before your wings even sprouted. If she cannot put her trust in you not to </span>
  <em>
    <span>betray her</span>
  </em>
  <span> to a greater, </span>
  <em>
    <span>highly personal</span>
  </em>
  <span> interest, you expect me to? My dear childling, your only merit is a loose tongue.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My apologies, All-maudra, I merely--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugary excuses and polished words that I am familiar with. Now excuse yourself, before I reconsider the value you hold in my court.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sharp wave of the All-maudra’s hand was like a spell break that unbound the Paladin from her kneeled position, which after a bow and several attempts to swallow the knot in her throat, made haste to disappear from the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the stained-glass door closed once more, Mayrin was truly alone. She drew a breath and exhaled softly, a futile attempt at easing worries.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Tavra…” she sighed quietly to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Composing herself once more, she stood up from the throne. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was for her own good.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both of them seemed to be getting their money’s worth out of the session. The training area had been vacated thanks to Tavra’s earlier outburst of anger so the sparring was almost… </span>
  <em>
    <span>peaceful. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It eventually fell into a pace of practice rather than angry venting. Enough to actually allow conversation to slip in between clashes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why’d you challenge me?” Tavra questioned, using a forward lunge that was promptly dodged on the other side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was bored out of my mind” Eidrin shrugged, tossing his hair over his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Reckless”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tavra grinned, pausing to attempt another lunge, this time with another approach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been told. It gets me places” he returned the grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Tavra recalled Onica’s words and a spark ignited in her head. Her blade arm dropped to her side and she straightened her posture. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate to ask this of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned around and perked her ears, trying to listen for any hushed noises that may indicate presence nearby. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already owe you a great deal” she whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Paladin.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Princess” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he countered with an almost ostentatious bow. The nerve. “What do you need?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A favor. Perhaps several. I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>overheard</span>
  </em>
  <span> some rumors that I want to explore, but I need connections.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He listened to her with full attention, his eyes shadowed with concern at her words, a frown planted on his forehead, but not once did he interrupt her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see what I can do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Escaping the Citadel never got any less dangerous, but after the first few times, Tavra had become an expert at it. She’d refused the room offered to her, firstly out of pure </span>
  <em>
    <span>spite,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and secondly because it offered a much more convenient placement. By this point in time no one would venture down at the end of the hall to check on her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, being </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfortable</span>
  </em>
  <span> was nowhere near the top five items of Tavra’s list. What she was more interested in was still managing to see her lover despite her confinement, even if not as nearly as often as she would before, and only for short spans of time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra would gladly sleep in the hay if it meant that once every now and then she could be basking in the warmth of a ship-cabin, with her lover by her side, running fingers delicately over her bare back. There was nothing quite like it. Her face rested on her crossed arms as she laid on her belly, with Onica nestled into her side, caressing the membrane of her wings every now and then. Giggling quietly at each other as they recalled the time spent apart from each other, and what that had brought them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ragged old man...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hope he’s not giving you </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much grief, save I don’t contain myself next time from tripping him up in the middle of court.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only as much as I let him. I don’t get why people still hold him in such high standards. He’s nothing like he was years ago” Onica said, trailing her fingers down Tavra’s spine, idly noting each vertebrae as she passed. “He’s lost the farsight, but doesn’t want to admit it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Old stations are hard to change...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On some days he gets so high on fumes trying to find it again that I have to lock him in his cabin so he doesn’t drown or do something stupid” Onica huffed. “Can’t see what I possibly have left to learn from him, but the other elders insist it’s an ‘opportunity’” Onica huffed with a mix of amusement and indignation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra snorted in giggles, hiding her face in her elbow with shoulders still shaking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn't've told me that” she managed through the giggles. “It’ll be even harder to keep a straight face if ever I see him in court again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thought of Tavra bursting into laughter in her mother’s court was both a frightening </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> hilarious thought, and Onica couldn’t help but laugh herself, resting her face on Tavra’s back, pressing her cheek against the warm skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How in the blazes are you always so warm? I don’t even need a stove with you here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra chuckled again, and Onica smiled at how that felt to listen to with her ear pressed against the princess’ back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vapra perk” Tavra giggled, settling down and making herself comfortable with the added weight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her wings spread loosely on either side, reflecting the lamplight into rainbows that danced on the cabin ceiling each time she took a breath. Onica turned her head and placed a soft kiss in the space between Tavra’s wings, which elicited a sudden jolt from the owner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ticklish</span>
  </em>
  <span> there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-no! Of course not!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica leaned over and brushed her lips </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever so lightly</span>
  </em>
  <span> over the same spot, causing Tavra to jump up in surprise and prop herself up on her arm, with Onica tumbling over in a fit of laughter. It had been a combination of the high-pitched </span>
  <em>
    <span>squeal </span>
  </em>
  <span>that Tavra had let out at the gesture and the fact that her face was redder than Onica’s hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t laugh at me! You--you absolute… </span>
  <em>
    <span>pluff’m!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That had absolutely no success, if anything, it had made Onica laugh even harder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, right up to the moment that Tavra grabbed her and started tickling </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>instead, but even then. She nuzzled and tickled and smooched, relentless along with the sounds of joy of her lover until she let her rest on their nest of pillows for fear that she might leave her out of breath. Her gaze was loving as she reached down to brush the back of her fingers across Onica’s golden-freckled cheeks, even as she still smiled from ear to ear. The far-dreamer’s hands reached out to grab Tavra’s face between them and bring it down for a tender kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The princess could very well forget about the rest of the world against those lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t tell me about what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>did all this time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The nervous flick and the moment of hesitation were enough for Onica to read that there was something on her lover’s mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” she asked with concern. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but I heard a troubling rumor while I was working the stables some weeks ago…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What rumor?” Onica asked, sitting up to face her with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh how Tavra hated seeing the worry in those eyes. But with reluctance, her hand went up, palm facing outwards, an open invitation to dreamfast. Onica raised her own, and their fingers pressed together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I overheard this cleaning the paddock one day” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tavra’s voice rang out like an echo inside a crystal cave as they navigated her memory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>...fraid it’s only going to get worse with the Sifa.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The memory fixed on Kellen’s face, and his little crew of naive younglings. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s of no importance”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tavra’s voice noted as the memory carried on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>He told me the Sifa aren’t really happy with how their Maudra has been treating negotiations on their part and…</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They say someone’s going to replace her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Is this true?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica’s voice rang out with alarm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t know, but I plan on finding out”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tavra replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>A rebellion, he said, but you didn’t hear it from me!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The older Vapra’s croaky voice rang out with clarity, and that was the last of it as Tavra broke the dreamfast and they faded back into the present times. But something was wrong. Her lover’s eyes had rolled into her head and the grip on her hand was vice-like. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Onica? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Onica!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tavra called out, her tone fraught with concern. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed like an eternity but it had barely lasted a second or two before the redhead gasped painfully, returning to herself with a jolt, green eyes wide and shoulders trembling. Onica reached out with trembling hands, latching onto Tavra with desperation. She had wanted--</span>
  <em>
    <span>prayed</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a vision, some sort of clarity, but this.. What she’d seen, it rattled her to the bone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blood… There will be lots of it. Tavra--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s steel-green eyes darted back and forth over her beloved’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The future is--in motion” Onica breathed, attempting to steady herself to distinguish the border between reality and dream, and Tavra was a good anchor. “We will need to act if we want to steer it away from disaster.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what if it’s just a rumor…?” Tavra questioned hesitantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s crimson curls shook along with her head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I sensed something was coming, couldn’t quite put my finger on what, but the dream that came to me just now-- You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to trust me, Tavra!” Onica pleaded with fervor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With all my heart” Tavra breathed in response, brow still furrowed with concern, eyes wide and staring at her mate, but she lifted her hands to her lips and kissed them. “I will do whatever is in my power.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Tavra and squeezing her tightly in her arms. The princess held her still trembling frame, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder and tenderly stroking over her back to soothe her, despite Tavra herself being terrified. Was Onica in danger…? Her cheek pressed against the Sifan’s shoulder, a million thoughts running through her mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How big a role would they have to play in this…? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And what an awful timing as well, with Tavra locked away within the Citadel for the vast majority of her time. But the princess was </span>
  <em>
    <span>determined</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she’d let no harm come to Onica. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra expressed a good deal of surprise when discovering what her next assignment would be. She was to help </span>
  <em>
    <span>Brea</span>
  </em>
  <span> sort out some legislative archives -- that through </span>
  <em>
    <span>absolutely no fault </span>
  </em>
  <span>of the Librarian’s nor his </span>
  <em>
    <span>obnoxious</span>
  </em>
  <span> choice of pet -- had become so horribly entangled that not even Brea could sort all by herself. It had come with additional surprise to find out that the All-maudra herself had suggested it and approved it. What sort of trap was it this time…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever it was, though, Tavra had to admit… The thought of spending even a few hours with even one of her sisters brought her </span>
  <em>
    <span>tremendous </span>
  </em>
  <span>joy, and there was a skip in her step as she headed out towards the Great Library of Ha’rar, taking in the fresh morning air, the sun beaming down warmly over them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She carefully pushed the door open and reluctantly peered inside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...oh my.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An entire rack of books had come undone, cascading its contents across the floor in an unspeakable mess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tavra!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d barely been able to lift her eyes enough to see her youngest sister barreling towards her. There had been a little distance left when Brea had decided to just leap over it, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank Aughra</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Tavra had good footing, save both of them would have ended up crashing onto the floor. Tavra chuckled at the tenacity with which her sister latched onto her, hugging her back with warmth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve missed you too…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I felt like you’ve been gone </span>
  <em>
    <span>forever! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell me what happened! No one will say a peep to me, and I’ve been so </span>
  <em>
    <span>worried!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Brea rapidly rambled in excitement mixed with concern. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m alright, I’m alright” Tavra cooed, stroking her hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soldier-princess however was a little more circumspect. She looked suspiciously around the library for signs of its </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> inhabitants. Her sister was quick to catch onto the gesture. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, there’s no one else here. I’ve shooed the Librarian home, him and his little </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a pet. I’ve always said a Pluff’m in the library was a bad idea but he’s always insisted that he can train him, and who ever listens to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Brea.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do” Tavra smiled kindly, prompting a defeated sigh from her sister, who came in for another hug, a gentler one this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve really missed you” Brea sighed blissfully, treasuring the warmth of the embrace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come, let’s get to work. We can talk as we go through it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was new determination lit in the eyes of the younger princess, a smile on her face and her woes temporarily forgotten, even if the ground was still covered in books and scrolls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try to separate them vaguely between books and scrolls. Some pages might have fallen out, try to salvage as much as you can and then I can go through everything and try and piece it together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright” Tavra agreed, tossing her braids behind her back and bending down on her knees to try and assist with the situation to the best of her capacity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Books had never really been her thing, unless they were about battle tactics or weaponry, but even then she had preferred a more practical approach. Of course, she knew how to read. As a princess, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>required to</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and due to the same position, verbal prowess was frequently required at court, but she had picked up enough from her other two sisters to serve her well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Brea asked with renewed interest as she started to gather up scrolls from the pile, carefully rolling them back up properly and placing them in an intricately decorated bin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How much do you know so far?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind of</span>
  </em>
  <span> figured it out. Vapra aren’t really good at keeping secrets, and it was the talk of the village, but I want to hear what </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was caught seeing my lover at the Seafarer’s Lantern. One of the paladins, I don’t yet know </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> but--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And are they really Sifa?” Brea asked with excitement, abandoning the scrolls and scurrying across the book pile to be closer to Tavra.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra took a deep breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brea’s reaction startled her to say the least. She fainted dramatically, clutching a large tome to her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that is my </span>
  <em>
    <span>favorite </span>
  </em>
  <span>trope! Ohhh, like all the great romances, a union of warring clans” Brea chimed, and you could almost see the stars in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Brea, </span>
  </em>
  <span>this isn’t a book” Tavra admonished with exasperation. “This is real life.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so romantic!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright alright” she relinquished, falling back on her behind on top of the stack of books. “What are you going to do about it then?” Brea asked, a quieter tone this time. “Will you leave?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last part was said with a sliver of fear, even in the bold young one’s voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-- don’t know yet” Tavra admitted softly, stacking books neatly on top of each other after straightening the pages. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brea looked down at her hands, pondering quietly for a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you leave, I will understand…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra looked up towards her, and her expression softened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come here” she said, opening her arms towards Brea, who wordlessly crawled into them. “You and Seladon are the only reasons I haven’t flown out to sea yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really mean that?” Brea asked, turning to look at Tavra with both love and guilt in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When have I ever lied to you?” Tavra replied with a smile, stroking a hand over Brea’s hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brea only replied with a snuggle, and they were both quiet for a while. Tavra was the one to break the silence, pushing Brea away from her softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s sort through this mess before mother gets mad at </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> of us” she said with a knowing smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brea nodded enthusiastically and they both set out to work. They made enough room for Tavra to go to work at repairing the bookshelves and fixing the whole ensemble back against the wall, proving the strength for the operation while Brea worked tirelessly to make sense of stray pages and crumpled scrolls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to the tithing ceremony?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that was happening already? When had the time passed so quickly? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m hoping I won’t have to” Tavra chuckled softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh how I wish I could go. What it would be like to see the Lords! Talk to them…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Afraid they don’t do much talking, Brea. Not to gelfling anyway” Tavra said, observing her sister with a tinge of amusement in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brea was only a few trine younger, but Tavra could not remember a time in her own life that she’d ever been so enthusiastic about meeting the Lords. Sure, they were the Lords, but Tavra’s priorities had never revolved much around them unless her mother had a word to say. It wasn’t as wonderful an experience as Brea likely imagined, but Tavra had to question if perhaps they just had different perceptions about it, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually enjoy the interaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that their mother allowed her to. Not ready for an event of this magnitude, Mayrin had insisted. Perhaps at some point, their mother would be persuaded, but Tavra had to walk back into her graces first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And perhaps… she could make </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> plans for the tithing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Curls of auburn and gold swirled around in ample motions as their owner paced the room as nervous and angry as a caged rakkida. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The tithing is upon us, and we don’t have nearly enough offerings for our Lord Skeksa. How am I expected to impress them with--with </span>
  <em>
    <span>this?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By any other opinion, what was lying in the middle of the room was a small fortune in and of itself. Golden coins, both sparkling and tarnished. Jewels of many different sizes and colors. Brightly colored rugs of the finest trade quality that the Dousan had to offer, rich silks and rare feathers. Yet all of it paled in comparison to the wealth of the Skeksis Lords, and Sateera was well aware that she would need to do a lot better if she wanted to rise in the eyes of Lord SkekSa enough to be able to substitute herself on the throne now occupied by Ethri. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My maudra, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to pay our forces… They refused to work for us otherwise…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And like a soft-headed fool, you gave in before the negotiations even began. We could have had so much more now if such a great deal hadn’t already been </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasted…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Next time she would do the negotiations herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do we </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least</span>
  </em>
  <span> have enough hands to rely on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, my maudra.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. I will find a way to surprise our Lord with something much more interesting than this… depressing pile. In the meantime, I want you to begin preparing the council, and… our </span>
  <em>
    <span>reagents</span>
  </em>
  <span> for the little accident. And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> hope that you intend to make up for your mistake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, my maudra…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. Now begone… I must think.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother was not a dumb woman by any stretch, and it was as if they’d have had the same thought. Not that Tavra had expected otherwise. As the tithing day came, Tavra was secured in her cell, to be guarded for the day. The princess, of course, had no intention of breaking out. Not during the </span>
  <em>
    <span>day</span>
  </em>
  <span> of course, so she patiently and obediently accepted her instructions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guards patrolled the hall and guarded at her door, rotating as their assignments shifted throughout the morning, preparing for the Lords’ arrival by midday. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra waited patiently inside, practicing combat moves as much as her space afforded her. It was otherwise quiet, when the guard changed once more. A hint of suspicion when she saw the glint of silvery-red hair peering out from under a cloak, knowing exactly who was guarding her cell now, and she stopped, approaching the door quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eidrin. Is that you?” she asked, barely above a whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you found news?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not good at all, I’m afraid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I went back to the tavern you mentioned. I knew some people there, and asked around some I trusted. The barkeeps say they’ve noticed mercenaries offloading into the port of Ha’rar and moving west. One of them mentioned a stopping point just off the coast. I’m certain they’ll be heading into Cera-na with the convoy of traders going back after the tithing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s anxiety escalated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you find out anything about </span>
  <em>
    <span>when</span>
  </em>
  <span> they plan on making their move?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Paladin motioned for silence and Tavra was quick to silence herself. She wasn’t sure for what, but he had a better vantage point. Sure enough, before long, a set of footsteps came pacing down the hall. It took a while for them to round the corner and go back out into the barracks.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, but I’ve set a vigil. We will know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hm. Not the kind of information that Tavra had a preference for. She would have liked something more actionable, but from what Onica had told her of her conflict with Ethri, acting at the wrong moment could very well prove to be an even bigger mistake. She had to stay put for now, and try to impart what she’d learned with Onica. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will be switched to guard the entrance hall before our Lords arrive, but can I ask you a favor?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Tavra asked with curiosity as she moved closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still with his back turned towards her, he reached into a pocket on his amble robes and pulled out a laden envelope, slipping it backwards through the grate for Tavra to take. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A letter for my mother. The windsifters are all being checked, and there’s no way this is reaching Cera-Na intact. Could you--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course” Tavra answered in a breath, carefully taking the envelope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was heavy, probably sending home some spare coin or other valuables. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her name is Eidira, she runs the fish shop near the crescent.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will be done” Tavra assured, stashing the envelope under the back of her shirt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Paladin turned over his shoulder and looked at her with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Princess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra nodded slowly, with a smile of her own. There wasn’t much conversation afterwards. Neither of them quite knew much about the other, and yet the sense of trust that they’d somehow developed was… odd in these circumstances. Not unwelcome, however. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard rotated two more times that day. When the Skeksis Lords had arrived, it had been very clear by the deafening silence all around. The final guard of the day got to watch over her pretending to be sleeping, then locking the cell, double-checking, and retreating for the night as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was late in the night by the time the commotion all died down. She was exhausted, but determined. The entire plot, coupled with Onica’s visions, hadn't been very kind on her sleep patterns. Not even her time with Onica brought much rest. No, not how she would have</span>
  <em>
    <span> liked.   </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The lull of sleep was enticing, but her senses kept calling on her to wake. Slowly, rich eyelashes fluttered away the sleep and almost immediately flinched as a bright ray of moonlight was quick to punish them. She groaned and brought an arm up to shield them, rolling to her other side with aches in her muscles. The door to the deck was open, she realized in her dazed state, and a quick inspection of the mass of blankets on their bed confirmed that her lover no longer inhabited them. Her hand dropped down onto the bed with a whine of disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra rolled her feet out of the makeshift bed of pillows and took a moment to stretch, a desperate attempt to get some comfort in her aching muscles. Her wings vibrated impatiently as they, too, felt the strain. It was unlike her to be up so late. The night had been rough and riddled with nightmares already, as was almost habit at least a few days a week. Tavra was certain she would live without the extra hours though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hand smoothed over the lush platinum locks that the vapra princesses were known for, stained here and there by strands of blue and violet. It felt greasy to the touch as she ran her fingers through it, and her nose wrinkled. Hadn’t had a good wash in days, after all. She didn’t need a reminder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been late when she’d arrived under the cover of darkness, and she didn’t remember much of the night before the nightmares set in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably fell asleep talking to her again</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she pondered with a huff to herself as she sat perched on the edge of the nest still. The subtle rocking of the ship on the waves was oddly comforting, though she was not sure entirely why. Such a polar opposite of the unmoving, ice-cold stone of the mountains. Was it because every time she thought of the waves, she thought of her Sifan love riding them? The rhythm that soothed them both into slumber when they sat curled up in each other’s arms? The gentle nights and rough storms that made one grateful to be inside and warm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Too much thinking. Her palms went up to smack her own face in distraction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This is why you have nightmares. Your mind simply can’t shut up, but your voice never says a thing. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stood, and stumbled, a particular wave catching her off-footing, but she quickly recovered. The seasoned wood creaked softly under her bare feet, the scents of the ocean greeting her strongly the nearer she was to the door. When she pushed it open, the light nearly blinded her, but with pained blinking, she eventually adjusted. A deep breath brought in the humid, tangy smell of the ocean around them. It was a warm night, with the wind billowing her hair like a silken cape. A rare sense of freedom that she treasured, but realized could not go on for long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Save she ended up looking like an urchin in the tangles of her own locks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She scratched at a bare thigh, just below where the seam of her undershirt was rubbing annoyingly against it, that being just about the only garment left on her. She didn’t remember getting out of her clothes either. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A brief scan of the deck still did not reveal her lover, and that troubled her a bit, with a scowl settling into her brow. She ascended higher. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her body adjusted quickly to the motions of the waves, balancing and swaying along with the moving surface of the deck. She wasn’t at the helm, nor fixing any of the sails. Her hand gripped the ladder with the strength of her soldier training, and vaulted herself halfway up it, quickly ascending the rest until she was up on the bow. Her pace stilled with relief as she gazed at the back of her beloved staring out onto the crystalline waves, shoulders sagging in tone with her breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not noticing her still, though Tavra hadn’t quite made an effort to be silent. Deep in thought was her guess, feet carrying her slowly in Onica’s direction. Her suspicions confirmed when her lover gave a startled jolt at Tavra’s arms wrapping around her from behind, Tavra chuckled softly under her breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should be sleeping.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>startled</span>
  </em>
  <span> me” Onica admonished softly, leaning back against her beloved as her surprise eased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know” Tavra replied, the remark drawing yet another soft chuckle out of her. “You didn’t wake me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t dare wake you now that you were finally getting some rest.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra took a few moments to gaze upon her lover, the way her crimson curls bounced in motion, her golden-freckled nose and cheeks, eyes that at times seemed deeper than the ocean the far-dreamer sailed upon. Even with the light of the Sisters dulling her colors, Onica’s beauty was stunning. The princess’ nose snuggled deep into those curls, inciting a giggle from their owner. Onica’s fingers threaded into her hair, relishing the lack of complicated vapran braids in it, at least for the time being. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmnhm… It’s dirty” came a muffled complaint from upon the mariner’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you say, but that’s for me to judge” Onica teased lightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another grunt came back in response from the princess, and Onica giggled at her victory, rubbing the tips of her fingers deep into Tavra’s hair like she knew she liked. The complete stillness of the Vapra signified her victory. She held in the sigh that was trying to make her way out of her lungs and betray her pensive state. Perhaps she could even get away with--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you see another dream?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica should have known she wouldn’t be able to escape the observant nature of the soldier-princess. She shook her head gently, as much as she could with Tavra’s still on her shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> she sighed. Onica was silent for a while but Tavra didn’t press. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss my wings” she confessed quietly. “I used to fly out on nights like these, course the waves under the moonlight, brush over the leaping hooyim banks...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, there it was… Onica had always told Tavra how fortunate she was for the stormy night that had them meet, despite how much it had cost her, but how could Tavra miss the signs? The little forlorn sighs when the winds filled the ship’s sails with scents carried all the way from across the continent? The way Onica’s fingers trailed over her wings with admiration and a little bit of envy, and the bottled up heartbreak that shone through her eyes when she thought Tavra wasn’t looking. The princess knew these sentiments weren’t connected to her person, but there was pain behind them nonetheless. She squeezed her beloved in her arms, and Onica melted in them just slightly, letting out a soft sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will be your wings then” Tavra declared, tenderly nuzzling the side of her neck. “One of these nights, we will fly together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean it. And one day, we will fly as much as we want, wherever we want. I will take you all over Skariff, and we won’t have a care in the world.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica let out a painful sigh, that carried many weights. She let it flow out and take the pain with it, letting herself melt in the embrace of her princess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that’s a dream to have…” she whispered, nuzzling back into Tavra’s temple. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood together in each other’s arms, peaceful in the breeze, the pleasant rhythm of the waves caressing the belly of the ship being the only sound gracing their surroundings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s ears perked up. Something was off. The wind carried sounds and smells towards her. Familiar ones. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hide.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all she’d needed to say. The princess bolted backwards to cover, employing her vanishing magic to shroud her. Towards Onica’s ship, a rowboat was slowly advancing. Onica stood perched in the same spot as it approached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, I wasn’t expecting to find you awake already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t sleep” Onica shrugged, and from her cover in the shadowed area of the lower deck, Tavra could make out the shift of tone in her lover’s voice. “It’s pretty late for a visit, Elder Cadia.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve been woken up myself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if that would give him any right to disturb anyone else. Was Tavra mad that he of all people would disrupt one of their rare meetings? Absolutely, she was boiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have an </span>
  <em>
    <span>urgent </span>
  </em>
  <span>hearing. A very important client--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra heard the sounds of the rope ladder grinding against the side of the ship. Oh eelfeathers, no, he was getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>onboard. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She slipped deftly back into the cabin and haphazardly gathered her belongings, ducking away next to the door that she may escape if they decided to enter the cabin. Onica would try to keep him out, no doubt, but from her tales he was a rather pushy sort. There was no way she could keep an effective illusion in a space so small.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could still hear bits and pieces of the conversation held up against the wall as she tried to get dressed again in as timely a manner as she could manage. Something about a good reward, potentially another vapra from the sound of it. Sneaking off in the night so no one would know that they’d come in to ask the Sifa for aid. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, not that Tavra would judge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard footsteps coming back to the cabin, and braced herself, but only Onica came in, half-slamming the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of these days I’m going to cave his head in…” the mariner hissed quietly to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She jumped in surprise when Tavra’s illusion melted right in front of her. The surprise didn’t take long before Onica rushed forward to press her fingers against Tavra’s lips to silence her. She pulled Tavra away from the door and kissed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s not budging. I have to go, and I won’t be back tonight. Wait for me to leave and then you can fly out the far side” Onica instructed with the faintest of whispers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra nodded solemnly, trying to swallow her own frustration and anger. Onica didn’t need any additional burdens, she had enough on her shoulders as well. She stole one last kiss and watched Onica hastily get dressed and gather the supplies needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hurry up, girl!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ship isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>sinking</span>
  </em>
  <span> yet, </span>
  <em>
    <span>is it?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica yelled back, pulling on her cloak and throwing one more apologetic glance to Tavra before she went out the door, closing it in her wake.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully for sounds on the other side. She heard Onica descend into the boat as the two exchanged comments. She heard the boat get rowed away, and soon it was quiet again. She sighed and melted into the illusion again, exiting the warm cabin into the cold outside and setting course back to Ha’rar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no sign anyone had even </span>
  <em>
    <span>stepped </span>
  </em>
  <span>through that side of the dungeon after she’d left. The lamps had gone out without anyone to replenish them. It provided a certain sense of comfort to slip unnoticed through the darkness and back into the solitude of her confines, somehow feeling just a little more empty than when she’d left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled the blanket over her and hoped that at least sleep would be kind.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahhh, I loved this so much, mainly because Tavra gets to say "fuck" and that I got to explore her angry side a little more as the events bottled up and took their toll on her. I enjoyed writing the sweet intimate moments with her and Onica as they try to make the most out of their situation. Eidrin (Freckles) is still a big favorite of mine, so of course I had to include him in the plot, and his dynamic with Tavra was fun to explore. Hope you enjoyed it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The culmination of the story as the plot finally unravels and Tavra races against time to keep her beloved Sifa safe. What will be the outcome?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Days passed without a sign. Whatever plot was unfolding, they’d managed to keep it well-hidden, and the Sifa side was an area she didn’t quite have access to, and she doubted any of them would even talk to her after the trouble she’d unwillingly caused them. She simply had to rely on Eidrin and whatever he could dig up. Sleep had barely touched her, nights had been spent staring at the cold stone ceiling. The only sleep she got was from passing out in exhaustion every now and then, only to wake herself up way too soon as insidious thoughts invaded her slumber with nightmares. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The exhaustion piled up with each new day that passed, but at least she’d been allowed to participate in the night watch and at least make use of her time instead of sitting by herself and thinking in circles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sleep deprivation was starting to show in ways that Tavra was somehow used to, but not quite enjoyed. Every sense was on high alert, and the fabrics of her clothes rubbing against her skin caused severe discomfort. She would have done anything to be able to sink in a hot spring if not for fear that she’d accidentally drown by passing out in one. Even the smallest noises were unbearable, and she often sought out the quietest corners. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cleaning the dungeon proved to at least be a productive occupation. It had come with some surprise to the Sergeant when she’d volunteered right after coming off from the night watch, but he reluctantly agreed after the princess had insisted, choosing not to verbalize over her exhausted expression and dark circles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thra knew he didn’t want to deal with another argument with the princess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there she was, brushing the floors and cleaning up with practiced skill. Even Tavra had her limits though, and as the warm afternoon sunlight began to hide in the mountain peaks as the last brother descended  behind them, Tavra sat down on one of the benches. She could feel it in the way that her legs gave way sitting on it that she would not be able to sit up for a while. Her body had given up, and it was like any remaining energy was leaking out through her feet. Leaning against the rough brick texture of the wall, she sighed deeply. She couldn’t even feel the discomfort anymore. Without any activity to keep her occupied, it wasn’t long before a desperate need for sleep took over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t even realize she was falling asleep, it was just a blink and she was gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time the next patrol rolled around into the corridor, she had fallen over onto the bench, messy braided hair cascading off the bench and onto the floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of the Paladins quietly elbowed his patrol mate and pointed with his chin, drawing the other’s attention to the princess. They nodded to each other and stepped quietly over. They looked at her and determined that she was, in fact, sound asleep. They made no sound as they tip-toed around her. One of them picked her hair off the floor, briefly cleaning the debris out of it as much as they could without waking her. They shed their cloaks, and used one of them to cover the princess, and after silently agreeing which one of them had a softer touch, the first paladin folded up the other cloak and -- as careful as he could -- slipped it under Tavra’s head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn’t even a flinch, and they considered it a success, slinking off to get another pair of cloaks before they could continue their patrol. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Tavra awoke again, it was the dawn of a new day. She was surprised to find the cloaks that had kept her warm and somewhat comfortable, even on the solid stone bench. Her hands clinged appreciatively to the garments, a soft smile on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They weren’t perfect, but they were her Paladins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The air was fresh, a window or door somewhere was open, and for once, she woke up fresh despite the questionable sleeping location. Yet something gnawed at the pit of her stomach, and she had a feeling it had nothing to do with hunger.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You called for me?” Onica asked, closing the wooden door behind her and bowing politely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Onica, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We may have grown up together, but you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>my Maudra” Onica replied, but a smile showed on her features. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri chuckled lightly, and it invited a chuckle from Onica as well, much like they did when they were younger. Onica made her way over and sat close to her friend. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something troubles you, I can tell” the far-dreamer began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hoped it would not be this obvious” Ethri sighed. “But it’s all wearing down on me. I called you here mainly to </span>
  <em>
    <span>apologize</span>
  </em>
  <span> for my last outburst… Perhaps I wasn’t ready to hear what you had to tell me, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>listen” Ethri said, looking away with a sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you did” Onica acknowledged softly, reaching out and placing her hand over Ethri’s, rubbing in a gentle comforting manner. “And you know I </span>
  <em>
    <span>appreciate</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you’ve done for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve picked one </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a troublesome partner, Onica, I’ll give you </span>
  <em>
    <span>that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It took every ounce of political skill I know and more to douse the All-maudra’s anger and keep her from snooping into your business.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica chuckled softly with guilt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just because I became Maudra doesn’t mean I’ve forsaken my friendships. Sifa don’t forget, and I definitely won’t forget whose help brought me this far. If it hadn’t been for you and Tae, I’m not sure where we’d all be.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You give yourself too little credit. You’re perfectly capable of standing proud on your own two feet, we just… helped along.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri chuckled softly again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So tell me then, what bothers you?” Onica questioned softly. “I’ll prepare some ta for us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri huffed. “I’ve been going through my supply like crazy these days. I didn’t even realize most of it was gone until this morning. I didn’t think I’ve been drinking so much but it seems like I have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve always enjoyed a good cup, and these </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> stressful times” Onica agreed, setting a kettle of water to boil. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She fished a jar of spices off their customary shelf. They’d been freshly refilled, and the aroma wafting off the top when she took the lid off was simply hypnotizing. A rare moment of bliss in this tumultuous period. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri leaned back in her chair and sighed deeply, folding her arms over her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sateera showed her face again” Ethri said, unsurprised when Onica whirled around with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sateera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The very same” Ethri sighed, tapping the cheek under her emerald eye, a grimace twisting her brow into a frown. “I thought she wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> show her face again after Lord SkekSa’s banishment, yet here she was, standing on the Omerya during the tithing ceremony. I don’t even know how she managed to get that far, she shouldn’t have been allowed to board it, but I could not cause a scene.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should have. She has no right being here and that was agreed upon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The most troublesome part of it is that SkekSa </span>
  <em>
    <span>welcomed</span>
  </em>
  <span> the offering. They were displeased at first, but the tithe was generous enough that it caught their attention. I don’t know what to make of all this… But it certainly doesn’t sit right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s eyes darted back and forth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ethri, I had a vision. I didn’t want to tell you until I knew more, and Tavra--</span>
  <em>
    <span>stop that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’s been trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span> us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri contained herself from rolling her eyes again and listened, despite a skeptical look still persisting on her face. Onica abandoned the cups for a moment, sitting back down next to Ethri and staring her dead in the eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to listen. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Your life may be in danger.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri frowned again, her proud nature doubting the threat would be enough to kneel her, but the trust she placed in Onica far exceeded any other Sifa, perhaps only matched by Tae. She swallowed her pride and nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s have that ta and you can tell me all about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica nodded solemnly in agreement and went to pour the hot water into the two cups she had prepared, and when the spices inside were steaming and swirling, she brought them over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra heard about a plot to dethrone you. She thought it might have been just a rumor, but then we got bits and pieces from everywhere, and I had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>vision--”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri lifted the cup of ta to her lips, but Onica fixed her eyes upon it in a momentary trance before her hand reached over and covered the top of the wooden cup, pulling it away from Ethri. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--</span>
  <em>
    <span>of blood and death.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica took her own cup and fanned the spicy vapor towards her, taking a whif of it. Barely had it reached her, that her eyes went wide when they connected to Ethri’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re in danger.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, a crash came from outside, and distraught voices signalled conflict. Ethri hissed and drew her cutlass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If they want my neck they'll have to get it themselves.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ethri, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You have to stay </span>
  <em>
    <span>put!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d spit on my own grave if I died waiting for these </span>
  <em>
    <span>cowards</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get me in here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and Tavra are both</span>
  <em>
    <span> stubborn as Armaligs. For once in your life Ethri, can you just do like I tell you?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Onica burst, pushing an angry Ethri away from the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t listen. Onica wondered how in the brother sons and sister moons had she inherited this fate of dealing with gelfling like these?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the middle of the day, yet Tavra could not stay put, there was a nagging feeling that kept her mind off her tasks, frequently catching herself throughout the day. Her worst feelings were confirmed when through the doorway she saw Eidrin come running. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re on the move. Something happened, I don’t know what, but their plot is in motion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” That was all she needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her thoughts sped to Onica. There was no way this wasn’t connected to her, and just the thought that she might be in danger scared Tavra out of her wits. She was jolted from her thoughts when her steps were halted as her arm was grabbed back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eidrin lifted the side of his robe to reveal another sheath behind his Paladin blade. He unclasped it and put it squarely in Tavra’s palm. A finely crafted bone dagger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll need this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra nodded firmly, making a note to repay him if this whole endeavor ended on a happy note. She flew off with abandon. She did not care if she’d be seen or who would see her, this kind of trouble was worth way more than royalty detention, and quite frankly she didn’t even give a damn about it anymore. Her mind was solely on her target and she would not be stopped. She slipped into the current and sped towards Cera-na.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time she arrived, she could already hear signs of commotion in the distance. Her first destination was Onica’s ship. She landed loudly on the deck and raced inside, only to find it empty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She leapt out and looked around to assess where she might be, and the one thought that stuck in her mind was as plain as daylight. In all its massive splendor, </span>
  <em>
    <span>the Omerya. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It only took a few leaps to build the momentum before her wings took over the effort, buzzing loudly as they carried her in a speedy manner across the bay, a distance easily crossed when flying and yet… It seemed like it was taking forever to get there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was fighting on the ship already and when Tavra landed roughly on the starboard of the deck, the Sifa soldiers were quick to surround her and point their weapons at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>HALT!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me through, I’m here to help!” Tavra said, spreading out her arms to indicate she meant no harm to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“As hell you are.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Get down on all fours and keep your hands where I can see them!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you don’t understand, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get through!” The panic in her voice was turning to anger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was wasting precious time and they weren’t negotiating. Who could blame them, really--? But Tavra was not there to argue. No, she was bracing her footing and scanning for a weakness she could use to break the line. It would likely cost her a slash or two but it would put distance between them. Hardly had her wings lifted in preparation of her move that a Sifa bearing a mane of golden-red hair shoulder-slammed into one of the guards. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Tae.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tavra, </span>
  <em>
    <span>go!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she ordered, a cutlass still in her hand and a thin line of blood running over the left side of her brow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra didn’t need to be told twice, she ducked her wings and slid over the deck, leaping out through the freshly created opening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quick, they’re on the bridge!” Tae yelled over the commotion, quickly falling into step with Tavra as they advanced towards the mass of the battle. “We’ll be right behind you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra nodded and took flight. Almost immediately, the insurgent guard rose up in the air to intercept her. An uncalculated move, as far as Tavra was concerned. A smug grin from her was what the first one saw as Tavra pivoted in the air and used her curled-up weight to barrel into the assailant and latch onto them firmly before she swung around and tossed them right at the second one, caught entirely off-guard by the maneuver. The third one had the advantage of distance, but the split-second of hesitation was all Tavra needed to slip past and speed towards the bridge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> And once they’d both landed? Confidence wasn’t the only weapon Tavra had. The Sifa dagger came out of the sheath and 4 blows was all that was needed to open up the mutineer’s guard enough to land a punch square into her face enough to knock her out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her feet couldn’t possibly carry her fast enough, and the closer she got, the further up her throat her heart seemed to climb. She wasn’t afraid of battle, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>lived</span>
  </em>
  <span> for battle. What she was truly afraid of, </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified</span>
  </em>
  <span> even, was losing the best thing that ever happened to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Onica. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She kicked the door in with so much strength that one of the hinges shattered and the rest of the door swung around in disarray. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Tavra!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The voice immediately caught her attention. When she turned, she saw Onica, mostly unharmed but held captive by two others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh? What do we have here?</span>
  </em>
  <span> A Vapra princess?” Sateera smirked, moving fluidly away from her position threatening Ethri with her blade. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Sifa Maudra looked like she’d seen better days, but by the many unconscious and possibly </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span> gelfling scattered around the room, she’d put up a significant fight before anyone managed to restrain her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here I thought the day was over and done, but it seems like I’ve been blessed with luck on this fine day!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a grin on her face and a wicked glint in her blue eyes as she leaned backwards against Ethri, who hissed when the edge of the blade broke the skin of her neck. Sateera’s eyes ran between Tavra and Onica, and it was clear that some missing pieces had clicked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seems as if I’m about to catch two hooyim with one worm” she leered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“If</span>
  </em>
  <span> you can catch me” Tavra bluffed, dagger still held firmly to her side, calculating her chances and her risks in the imminent fight that would break out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sateera stepped away from Ethri, who was securely being held back by three of her henchmen. By the way Ethri was still resisting, Tavra wagered three was barely enough, but her attention had to focus on the figure that was sauntering over towards her, a bloody cutlass in her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d put that away if I were you. Don’t want your </span>
  <em>
    <span>darling</span>
  </em>
  <span> over there to suffer, hmm?” Sateera asked, walking over close enough to threaten Tavra with her blade hovering over the princess’ shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra hadn’t moved from the spot, the dagger still clutched firmly in a backwards grip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A thunk resounded through the deathly silent room as the dagger hit the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good girl. All these years of waiting, </span>
  <em>
    <span>planning… </span>
  </em>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you three, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you delivered me everything I needed right at my doorstep. I just needed to</span>
  <em>
    <span> fan the flames</span>
  </em>
  <span> in your wake” Sateera smirked, lifting Tavra’s chin with the tip of her blade. “How does it feel, my dears, to have brought about your own disaster?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should know…” Ethri hissed from across the room, spitting out a mouthful of blood from the elbow she’d taken to the teeth during the skirmish. “Happened to you </span>
  <em>
    <span>twice </span>
  </em>
  <span>already, and you’re asking for the </span>
  <em>
    <span>third.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And yet you’re sitting there powerless, with the few that held your loyalty already dead or dying outside.” Sateera smirked with superiority. “You should have just drank that ta.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “And you put your foot in your mouth, because with the three of us here, I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>wager</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re outnumbered.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sateera turned back to Tavra with a spark of confusion flashing through her eyes. Tavra’s foot locked with the dagger on the floor, and she threw it over in Onica’s direction, ducking before the blade that would no doubt attempt to slice her. A lot more nimble with a bone dagger than Tavra was, Onica bounced it up to her hand and plunged it deeply into the side of the henchman on her right, before swinging in an arch to make the second one back away and slam into the other three, and that was all that was required for a chain-reaction of chaos to enable the very angry </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ethri </span>
  </em>
  <span>to charge at her captors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The auburn-haired usurper barely had time to register the chaos, her focus jumping to her newly freed niece. She didn’t get to lock eye contact before Tavra tackled her with shoulder and elbow slamming into her chest enough to knock the breath out of her and relieve her of the cutlass she was holding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She threw the weapon to Ethri and proceeded to relieve one of the other cronies of his blade in order to assist Onica. Not that she seemed to need it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was surely not the time, but Tavra </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to admire the speed and guile of her lover’s movements. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“NO!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sateera screamed out in frustration, drawing another weapon from within her coat. “I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> be defeated, even if I have to </span>
  <b>
    <em>paint the throne with your blood!”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The commotion ground to a halt when dark claws wrapped around Sateera’s neck and held her up like a prized fish while the gelfling struggled for breath and clawed at the hand that had captured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“My my my! </span>
  </em>
  <span>If I’d known the type of trouble you’d cause, I would have been </span>
  <em>
    <span>harsher</span>
  </em>
  <span> with my punishment” SkekSa’s smooth voice reverberated on the bridge as she stepped inside, still holding a struggling Sateera at arm’s length, which for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Skeksis</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a considerable deal. “I thought you’d learned your lesson, silly girl! I was ready to welcome you back with open arms, but then you went and betrayed my trust yet again! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tsk tsk tsk!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was then that Tavra noticed that the battle outside had ceased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>lost</span>
  </em>
  <span>, though, </span>
  <em>
    <span>is it? Plenty of time for proper punishment” </span>
  </em>
  <span>SkekSa added with a wicked little glint in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was silence and held breaths as Sateera finally exhausted herself of air in her struggle and fell limp. It was only then that SkekSa’s grip eased, allowing her to fall to the ground. The Skeksis Lords were not to be trifled with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Worry not, she’s not dead. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For now.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her gaze changed when she laid eyes upon Ethri and Onica, adopting a warm, almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>compassionate look </span>
  </em>
  <span>as she moved over towards them, the same clawed hand that had been used on Sateera now tender as it wiped blood from Ethri’s cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve done well, my dear. Put up a hell of a fight you did” the Skeksis said with a smirk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Lord SkekSa” Ethri breathed in relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aside from a few scratches, Onica was mostly unharmed, and a polite bow was given in gratitude to SkekSa. Then… the Skeksis Lord’s gaze fell upon Tavra, and she felt rooted to the spot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Well, you prevented a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tragedy, </span>
  </em>
  <span>my dear, to say the least! I don’t know how you caught wind of this enough to come to the Sifa’s aid, but you have my </span>
  <em>
    <span>personal</span>
  </em>
  <span> gratitude that you did! You shall have a commendation from SkekSa herself!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra hadn’t even been aware of the breath she was holding, but when it was finally released, relief took over. SHe didn’t even want to think what trouble she’d be in upon her return, but for </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all was well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, if you’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>excuse me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, SkekSa has to deal with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>mess</span>
  </em>
  <span> outside” the skeksis winked and picked up Sateera’s limp figure like one might carry a sack of potatoes, or a very unimportant </span>
  <em>
    <span>prize,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and strode outside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take a blink for Onica to launch herself at Tavra and squeeze her in her arms with strength that the princess hadn’t thought her lover capable of. But by Thra was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>glad she was, </span>
  </em>
  <span>because Tavra returned it twofold. It didn’t even matter that Ethri was still there to witness, the threat of death had made this reunion quite unlike any other, and Onica was the one to press her lips to Tavra’s in a gleeful kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra might as well have left her brain back in Ha’rar, because it had no input to give, everything that she knew was that she would kiss her back for as long as they were allowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was with some disappointment that Onica let go after a moment or two, and then Tavra opened her eyes to see Ethri glaring at her. She expected the worst, but Ethri placed her hand firmly on the princess’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had my doubts about you. I didn’t believe Onica at first, and with how much trouble you’ve stirred, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to lay eyes upon you again. But what you’ve done today… You have my, and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sifa clan’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>eternal gratitude. You will </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a home with us, I swear it on my helm and my honor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra was speechless, even as Onica latched onto her once again. All she could manage was a solemn and polite bow of the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Maudra Ethri...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethri’s gaze softened and her other hand was placed upon Onica’s shoulder. The two lovers exchanged glances before looking back at Ethri. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For what it’s worth, you have my blessing. Tavra. Onica. And should you one day decide to seal your fates together,” she looked at Tavra, “then I hope you will one day sail with the Sifa as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica’s eyes filled with tears, and Ethri’s smile widened, but to both her and Tavra’s surprise, Onica hooked Ethri in on the embrace, squeezing them both into her arms. There was a second or two of awkwardness, particularly on Tavra’s side, but the moment prevailed, and the three shared the embrace as they were meant to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well then, I suggest we move along, save </span>
  <em>
    <span>some of these</span>
  </em>
  <span> will start waking up before they’re in chains.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Celebration rang out across the fjord, and how could they not? The coup had failed, and despite the damage that had been wrought, the bonds they shared seemed stronger than ever. Tavra, however, couldn’t be convinced to participate in the celebrations. She would have </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked to, </span>
  </em>
  <span>no mistake about it, but the thought of what was waiting for her back home was weighing too heavily on her mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica had been reluctant to let her go, but with a few reassurances, she relinquished. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The flight back to Ha’rar seemed longer than ever. The last Brother sun was still up in the sky, and the itching of her cheeks indicated that she might have some salve to claim later for how much she’d stayed in the sun for that day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t head back to the barracks. Instead, she walked straight towards her mother’s court. Paladins hushed their whispers and stepped out of her way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was disheveled, dirty, and there was some blood spatter here and there. When she pushed the doors of the hearing room open, her mother’s gaze was sharp as a knife upon her, but Tavra persisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good heavens, </span>
  <em>
    <span>look at you!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra kneeled down as a soldier would in front of her mother, gaze cast upon the ground at her feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I give you punishment for causing an incident, and you break your confinement and </span>
  <em>
    <span>go cause another one.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The disappointment was dripping like venom from the All-maudra’s voice, but to Tavra the cost had been fairly justified. She’d simply need to play her cards right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard of the plot of an uprising, and when I found out that it had begun, I had to act” Tavra negotiated truthfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And why, pray tell, did you not come to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would have been too late, and--” Tavra’s gaze finally lifted to meet that of her mother’s. “You would not have let me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The All-maudra gave out a sigh of exasperation and sunk further into her throne, eyes still fixing Tavra with a vulturesque expression, even as she leaned her forehead onto her hand. Her middle daughter would send her to an early grave one of these days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra said nothing, simply waiting for her mother’s judgement with patience. The silence was poignant and heavy. It came with some surprise to have it interrupted when the doors opened once more with a Paladin stepping forward towards the throne. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All-maudra” she said with a bow, stopping some distance away. “The Sifan Maudra requests an urgent audience.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look that Mayrin shot her daughter could have punctured steel, but she kept her anger contained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See them in” the All-maudra commanded, letting the Paladin walk away before casting her glance towards her daughter once more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You</span>
  </em>
  <span> stay here. You will </span>
  <em>
    <span>deal</span>
  </em>
  <span> with the consequences of your own actions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s heart was beating up a storm. She’d known nothing about this visit, nor how it would evolve. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aughra help me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maudra Ethri walked in flanked by two of her guards. She’d cleaned up and had her wounds treated, but it was still very clear that she’d been through a battle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All-maudra Mayrin” she greeted politely, bowing as was customary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maudra Ethri” Mayrin replied, standing from her throne and bowing in return, though not with as much amplitude. “What brings you here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides the obvious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have decided to personally offer commendations for your daughter’s aid in the uprising. We would have suffered great losses without her intervention, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>personally</span>
  </em>
  <span> owe her my life. We shall send a gift of gratitude to your court as soon as we will gather our forces once more, but for now, I offer you the word of Lord SkekSa in praise of Princess Tavra’s tactical prowess. Please accept our gift and our gratitude” Ethri declared, stepping forward to offer an ornate scroll sealed in wax with the Skeksis stamp clear upon it, placing it squarely in the shocked All-maudra’s open hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh Ethri was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> tipping the scale of who owed who right now, but Tavra would be damned if she wasn’t grateful to the stars and back. She sat kneeled and head bowed, not a word uttered despite the proximity to the Maudra and both parties acting as if they had absolutely no connection to the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m… </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleased</span>
  </em>
  <span> that we were able to help” the All-maudra found the words to speak, still staring with surprise at the scroll for a moment more before she dared to unravel it, eyes flitting over its contents with her brow wrinkled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Praise from one of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lords...? </span>
  </em>
  <span>This was sure to grab her mother’s attention, and potentially cull her wrath, but Tavra could only hope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Maudra Ethri” Mayrin spoke again in a somewhat airy fashion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will not disturb your time for any longer. We shall speak again in due time, until then I bid you farewell” Ethri said, both her and her attendants bowing to the All-maudra. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had come as a complete surprise even to Tavra. She had not expected the aid of Maudra Ethri in such a manner, and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>quickly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They’d likely departed shortly after she had to make it here so quickly, and Tavra still had trouble wrapping her mind around the </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> part of this whole situation. When she dared to look up at her mother again, the Sifa convoy had left, and there was a most peculiar expression on Mayrin’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this true?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes” Tavra nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mayrin walked over to her daughter and placed her fingers under her chin, a gentle gesture meant to lift Tavra to her feet and it succeeded. They were now looking squarely at each other, mother and daughter. The cold fury in Mayrin’s gaze had subsided for a bit of motherly warmth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything else that you did with the Sifa that I should know about?” Mayrin smiled lightly, a veiled attempt at humor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Tavra hesitated. “I said goodbye…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mayrin’s expression shifted through a somber frown, then melted once more in tone with the sigh that came out of her. Her hand lifted to brush softly over Tavra’s cheek, a gesture that she leaned into, for however long it lasted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s for your own good, you understand that, don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, mother” Tavra spoke softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A warm smile came to Mayrin’s tired face, mimicked by that of her daughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m proud of you. Finish your business at the barracks. I shall expect to see you in court once more this midweek.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The tide has begun to recede,” Tae warned softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go, I will catch up to you later” Onica promised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you be ok by yourself?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have my boat here, I will be ok.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tae nodded, squeezing Onica in one last warm hug in the cold morning before she flew off towards the Omerya. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first sun was already starting to paint orange over the glistening waters of the Silver Sea. She would have to move out soon as well if she wanted to catch up to the fleet already a sufficient distance away from the port of Cera-Na. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed and began walking back to push her boat into water and take sail. That’s when she felt the unmistakable warmth of the arms that wrapped around her and Onica felt that she might melt. Tavra kissed her on the neck and squeezed the mariner in her arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry I’m late” came a hushed apology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize. I’m happy you made it” Onica corrected, turning into her arms to better view her love. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was when she noticed Tavra’s garb was once again that of the Ha’rar princess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re back!” Onica exclaimed with excitement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ethri may have had a hand in it” Tavra chuckled softly, eyes focused keenly on her mate, drinking in as much of her sight as she could before she would spend many months without her once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Onica giggled happily and slipped her hands over Tavra’s soft cheeks, pressing her lips to hers. Tavra closed her eyes and smiled joyfully even as they shared the tenderness of the kiss. The first sun’s light slowly bathed them in light, as if Thra itself was cating their blessing upon them that morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be safe, my love” Onica whispered softly, brushing her fingers over Tavra’s lips, reluctant to let her go. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Return to me” was Tavra’s reply, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Onica’s forehead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She stayed on the beach for a while. Invisible but watching Onica’s ship sail away into the distance. She watched until she could no longer see the fleet, and the first sun had parted from the horizon line, and then waited just a little more, her heart already yearning for what she had just parted with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There would come another season, and then her love would come back once more. Until then…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were tasks to attend to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That morning would mark the celebration of her return at court. Her hair had been properly brushed for the occasion, her sword and armor reclaimed, and the slightly tarnished crown worn upon her brow once more. She stood proudly by her mother and sisters once more that day, patiently going through her duties and bowing her head in salute to the Paladins that paid her respect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the day had been done, Tavra was seen once more wandering the halls of the barracks until she found what, or better yet </span>
  <em>
    <span>who </span>
  </em>
  <span>she had been searching for. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess” he smiled, bowing with respect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Paladin” Tavra replied with a bow. “You’ve served me well beyond measure, and I would like to reward you with a station in the Court Guard. If you have nothing else to attend to, you may begin as early as tomorrow. I already have the Sergeant’s approval for your promotion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eidrin’s stunned visage was enough to make Tavra smirk likely, quite proud of herself. He’d earned it, of course, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoped </span>
  </em>
  <span>that she could further rely on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s an honor to serve, Princess Tavra” he said, bowing deeply with enthusiasm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Until then, however, I request your aid once more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” Eidrin agreed, taking a step forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s expression changed from royal politeness to crude determination that he’d had the opportunity to see during one of their few sparring matches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to know who was the rat that gave me away to the All-maudra.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sorely unacceptable!” </span>
  </em>
  <span> Tavra overheard as she neared the training location. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She strode over to witness the exhausted and angry faces of soldiers being drilled by quite frankly someone that had no business doing any of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Paladin Damire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Paladin flinched and turned to attention upon hearing the familiar voice. Tavra caught a few faces that she knew among the trainees. They’d been kind to her one way or another, and their faces lit up when they cast their eyes on her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess Tavra” the commanding Paladin replied, saluting in respect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t recall any training assignments scheduled for today” Tavra quipped with a polite smile still on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These Paladins had </span>
  <em>
    <span>abysmal</span>
  </em>
  <span> performance during the last practice, and I took it upon myself to fill in the gaps of their training” Damire declared proudly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Excellent.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One had to have been well-versed in sarcasm to catch the inflexion in Tavra’s tone, yet some of the younglings seemed like they were indeed witty enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come, I have a special assignment for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am” Damire said, her posture strengthening with even more pride. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The rest of you are dismissed. Report back to the barracks, if you please” Tavra commanded, not forgetting to salute them with a nod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was cute to watch them salute back, nodding their head like happy little ducklings, but it didn’t take long for her to resume the task she’d come here to distribute. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come. Walk with me” Tavra instructed, leading the way down from the outer training grounds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mother mentioned that she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>exceedingly</span>
  </em>
  <span> pleased with your performance during my time of service” Tavra began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soldier-princess wasn’t yet certain that she could </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span> fear, but a very similar aura was radiating from her companion as they strode down the path and rounded the corner towards a well-known area of the Citadel’s surroundings. It only took a glance of her peripheral vision to notice panic on the Paladin’s expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, ma’am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a bullish determination to keep herself together, Tavra could sense that, and pretended to absolutely not notice the rollercoaster of emotions that she was putting the other through, maintaining her expression as serene and kind as she would have been seen talking to her sisters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have already arranged promotions for several other Paladins in the Citadel, and it was time to deliver yours as well” Tavra said with pride in your voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma’am? If I may ask, why are we at the stables?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tavra’s smile brightened from ear to ear as she clasped the Paladin on the shoulder and patted her back lightly a couple of times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suggest you get comfortable. You’re going to be down here for a long time.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, SkekSa wasn't initially meant to be part of the plot, merely getting a mention or two, but as I neared the finale, she slipped in there almost naturally and I'm like yeah, this is happening. I loved adding in little bits and touches of Paladins around the Citadel, because although some of them are simply in it for the money and reputation, a lot of them grew to genuinely care about the Princess. Although short at the end, Onica's departure really hit me in the feels after everything. </p>
<p>Aaaaand this concludes the story! If you've come this far, I really hope you enjoyed it! I haven't been this motivated to write in a long long time and I churned it out as fast as I could to ride that wave, and I have to admit I enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions and thought processes, and I hope you did too ❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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